Brave New World
by Dinolion92
Summary: An Empire rises. Friendships are tested. Friends and enemies must work together. Humans, Mufasa and the Pridelanders, among many others must rely on one another to survive this strange place... Cowritten with LionKingIsAwesome. Heavy AU! Rated T for violence and swearing!
1. Chapter 1, A New World

_The sky sure looked pretty this morning…_

I closed my eyes, still exhausted. _Just five more minutes_. Then I'll…

 _Wait…_

I shot up.

 _Where…_

I looked around.

 _Where am I?!_

What lay before me was desert. Sparse, drought-resistant foliage, mostly grasses, succulents and other dry-condition plants dotted a vast, ochre plain underscored by undulating dunes of sand.

 _Where am I?!_

I began to notice the heat beating down on me like a continuous hammer of swealtering, suffocating warmth. I wiped the gathering sweat from my forehead, and pulled myself to my feet.

 _Okay, if I just arrived here through unknown means, I'm probably not going home._ That hurt to admit, but I had bigger concerns at the moment.

 _I need to find food, water and shelter if I am to survive out here._

I looked around some more, trying to spot something amidst the sea of drab browns and tans.

I stopped. I…could see something a few hundred yards away. A dark shape, only its dark back visible, moved between the dunes, disappearing as soon as it began.

I blinked, and immediately tensed up. I had watched enough nature documentaries to recognize the behavior of a predator on the hunt.

 _Is it hunting me?_

That was the big question on my mind at the moment. I needed to know that. Or else I could disappear from this world as quickly as I arrived.

I pushed the thoughts of some bug-eyed, tentacled monster from my mind, and began scanning the environment for a potential escape route.

There was none. Just open plains for miles. Still, I saw a small lake some ways away. Perhaps…

 _No! Watering holes attract_ every _type of animal. More could be there!_

My throat protested this. I was thirsty. I _needed_ water.

Groaning, I took one last look in the direction of the shape, and began to head towards the watering hole.

When I ascended a rather tall dune, I looked over. Indeed, by now I could see that this desert extended to the very horizon. I could also see countless shapes all across the desert, entire herds of animals. At this moment, I beheld hundreds, possibly thousands of new creatures.

I also got a good look at the watering hole. A few barrel-chest reptiles with longer front-legs then back and a slight…

 _Wait!_

I knew what those were!

Pareiasaurs _! A type of Permian testudine(in layman's terms, a relative of turtles and tortoises) that lived over 260 million years ago._

 _If those animals lived here, did that mean…_

I stopped when I heard _something_ nearby.

I turned to see a big-cat of some kind rushing up the dune towards me. It was covered in large brown stripes and spots on a tan pelt. It resembled Leopards fairly closely, except for its more muscular build and two inch canines…

 _A Deinofeilus! A predatory sabertooth cat native to Africa that…_

I paled, and began to run. _That hunted primates._

I booked it down the dune, panting in terror as I heard the feline reach the top of the dune. I didn't look back. I just sprinted as fast as I could.

I heard it chasing me. I could hear the sound of its paws crashing against the sand as it gave chase.

Then, with a shiver down my spine, I realized it was _gaining!_

I threw all my energy into running. Nothing else mattered. I _had_ to escape this predator!

Or else it would kill and eat me.

It was getting closer, and I was rapidly losing energy. Sweat ran down my face and back like a waterfall, drenching my shirt and chafing my skin.

I finally saw something at the waterfall. A large Ceratopsian of some kind(I wasn't paying attention to its details at the moment) was drinking from the watering hole.

I risked a glance behind me. The _Deinofeilus_ was closing in.

I looked to the Ceratopsian, and decided to take the chance. It was a calculated risk, but it was either that or death.

I ran _towards_ the large dinosaur.

It grunted, before turning its head to face me. Upon spotting what I assumed was my hunter, it wheeled around and began to roar in anger, pawing at the ground and shakings its frill in anger.

I was getting closer. Maybe I could make it.

The Ceratopsian was getting more and more agitated. It was lowering its head and pawing at the ground, seemingly warning me off.

As I closed in, I threw myself to the side. I landed in the sand, the heat of the dusty particles irritating my now sunburnt skin even more.

I could hear the _Deinofeilus_ stop its pursuit, and the sound of roaring convinced me that it was busy trying to find a way past its new foe.

I pulled myself to my feet, and risked a glance. The _Deinofeilus_ was rushing off in the other direction, obviously not willing to risk fighting a… _Pentaceratops_ by the looks of it.

With the immediate threat gone, the herbivore grunted in victory, and returned to the watering hole. I sighed, and remembered my thirst.

I took a step forward, before stopping.

 _What if he is still grumpy?_

I didn't want to provoke the _Pentaceratops_ , especially after so narrowly escaping death. But I also had to drink. And I didn't know where the next pond was.

Groaning, I walked over. The _Pentaceratops_ turned to face me for a second, before it returned to drinking. Calmed by this acceptance, I turned and cupped my hands. I lowered them into the water, and pulled the water to my parched mouth.

The liquid tasted cool and clean. Immediately feeling relief by the drink, I repeated the process several times, until I was satisfied.

After my fifth drink, I sighed, and got up.

 _I should definitely stay nearby._

I still needed food and shelter. So I turned, and spotted some bushes nearby. I guess I could look for berries or something.

I walked over, and inspected the shrubbery.

It was dry and coarse, but I could see a few small, yellow berries. I reached forward to pick them, but stopped.

 _What if they're poisonous?_

I jumped when I heard a squeak. Turning, I saw a small, tusked quadrupedal synapsid( _Diictodon_ I believe) grab and eat a few of the berries a little ways away.

I grinned. I guess they were safe to eat.

I picked one, and hesitated.

 _Here goes nothing_.

I put it in my mouth, and was immediately greeted by a slightly sour flavor. However, it still tasted good. I grinned, and picked two more.

After repeating the process, and determining that there were no immediate negligible effects, I picked at least two dozen of the berries from the bush, before noticing something peculiar.

Stopping, I noticed that there was something in my pocket.

I reached in, and was surprised to feel something…metallic. I pulled the small piece of metal out, revealing a small remote.

I blinked.

 _What the hell…_

It was similar in size to a flip-phone, though had only a single, circular button on it and a small camera just above that. It seemed to be an overwhelmingly simple tool.

I was puzzled by this. Why was this in my pocket? What was the point? When did I even get it?

Sighing, I pressed the button.

I nearly tripped backwards in surprise when a holographic screen, displaying several toolbars appeared out of the camera.

"Designs", "Inventory", "Saved Designs".

I blinked again. I pressed the "Saved Designs" toolbar.

"You have no Saved Designs. When you have designed an item, save it here, and you can duplicate it should you have the required resources."

So…

This reminded me so much of a video game's crafting system.

I stopped.

 _Is that what I am supposed to do? Craft stuff to survive?_

The idea would seem preposterous in the real world, but then again, this _wasn't_ the real world.

I stopped. I could definitely use _some_ kind of weapon.

I pressed the "Create" button.

Several more options came up. I selected the "Weapon" button.

 _So I need lead, timber, gunpowder and a kind of venom if I am to actually use this weapon._

I had finished my design, though as I designed it, required resources quickly popped up. I tried to get rid of those requirements, but they stayed no matter what I tried. Ultimately, I gave up, and decided to save my new weapon.

I named it the "Mark 1A Semi-Automatic Bolt Action Battle Rifle", or just the Mark 1 for short. Its overall appearance was based on the M1 Garand from the US Army in World War II. It had a ten round clip.

After designing the weapon, I decided to browse my inventory. Two items were already in there, a "Basic Analyzer" and "Basic Cooker". I could kind of guess what each did based on their name.

Still, it was convenient to have both around. I would definitely need them if I was to stay out of trouble.

However, my biggest priority right now should be something easier to build. While less desirable then my rifle, a small tent and a spear would be most effective at the beginning. I could worry about the bigger things later. Right now I had to make tough choices, and those choices could determine if I lived or died on this world.

It was relatively easy to gather the required materials. All I needed was one of each required materials to make my spear and tent. The Piece of Shit Spear and Home Sweet Home Tent were definitely not good long term items, but like I said, they would be there to help me later on.

By the evening, I had pitched the tent, and was starting to get tired. Resting my spear beside me, I curled up in my Sleeping Bag. As I lay back, I began to listen. The sounds of animals calling in the distance was like a constant lullaby. Even better, as I zipped up the tent, I caught a glimpse of the bioluminescent light show some inhabitants of this world put. Entire herds glowed in the dark, their ghostly images pointing to a vibrant and healthy ecosystem.

It was a little strange that this desert could support so much life. I mean, the fact that so many different animals from entirely different eras and places could live together itself was impressive.

Still, I was puzzled by this world. The fact that all of this seemed to be utterly and completely alien to the way things went on Earth just added to the surrealness of this whole situation.

But, despite my initial terrifying experience with the _Deinofeilus_ , I wanted to know _more_. What was this place? What were the different species? How did they live? And how did this place form? Was it a natural conglomeration and a freak coincidence of convergent evolution, or was…

I sighed. No use thinking about that now. The only thing I could do now was sleep. Besides, the berries would wear off soon, and I'd need to find something more substantial.

I froze.

 _I would need to hunt_.

That idea was terrifying. Sure, I had a weapon, but just the idea of using it on a creature that had done me no wrong and was just trying to eke out its own living in this harsh environment was…

I sighed. I had to do this.

It was me or the world. I would need to survive on this world somehow. Or else I would be cast aside like trash, another failed experiment in survival on this dangerous, but pristine desert.

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I awoke the next morning fairly early. Maybe it was the natural biological clock going off at first light or I was just an early riser, I don't know. The _point_ is that this would be the day I would attempt to hunt. I _needed_ a meal.

I groggily rose from my scratchy, fur sleeping bag and grabbed the crappy spear with which I would bring down an animal of this world.

I chuckled a little. This flimsy little stick with a sharpened point? It would bring down an animal like that _Pentaceratops_ or _Pareiasaurus_ I had seen. I had to suppress a nihilistic laugh at my own self-delusion, and ready for the grim task ahead.

With a sigh, I headed out. The sun was not to high in the sky, and a tinge of pink still visible amidst the dawn.

I shivered a bit, reminded by experience of how cold the desert could get at night. Still, I had a job to do, and I'd rather get it done before the animals(mainly the predators) were alert.

So I trekked forward. I walked up and down the dunes for a good two miles and an hour and half. I found a few Monitor lizards here and there, but they all avoided my attempts to hunt them. I swear, I could almost _hear_ them laughing in amusement at the new guy's pitiful attempt at hunting.

As the sun drew higher and higher, and I began to move even further from my camp, I began to get frustrated. Every animal I had seen was a small lizard, mammal or synapsid, and none even allowed me to get within striking range.

Then, I spotted something in the distance. A small herd of medium-sized Iguanodonts( _Lurdusaurus_ I believed) was separating amidst the dunes.

I finally felt a ray of hope. So, I began to move forward. Clutching my spear, I snuck quietly(in my mind anyway) up to them.

Then, the herd began to tense up. What began as a small trumpet by a single individual turned into a chorus of terrified honks and cries as the herd began to scatter.

My thoughts that _I_ had somehow spooked the herd were immediately dashed when a large, black creature lunged from behind a dune. I froze. This…creature didn't resemble _anything_ from Earth.

It looked as lethal and threatening as any alien creature I had seen in the movies. A spade-shaped head tipped by a reddish-pink tongue, small eyeless sockets on either side of those, a muscular body with two long cone shaped spikes jutting out on the hips and a long tail _somewhat_ evoked the image of a theropod, at least in body structure.

Instead of a roar, the creature pinged loudly in what sounded like a deeper and more intense version of sonar. As it began to enter the midst of the fleeing _Lurdusaurs_ , I wondered if it would behave like Earth Predators, that is, single out the slowest, weakest, oldest or youngest individual and run it down before dealing a final _coup de grace_.

But…how would this obviously a predatory creature do that? I saw no jaws on it as it pursued a small _Lurdusaur_.

My question was answered just seconds later, when the predator's _tongue_ shot forward and slashed into the _Lurdusaur's_ back like a whip. It cut through the leathery skin like a knife through butter, a long bloody gash quickly forming on the hapless creature's flank.

The _Lurdusaur's_ terrified honk turned into high pitched cries of agony as it slowed, and collapsed on the ground, kicking pitifully into the air as blood began to gush from the wound and seep onto the sandy ground.

The predator stepped forward, and with a second flick of its razor-spiked tongue, silenced its prey's cries. This time, it didn't withdraw the organ, but instead closed the distance and stood over the carcass.

I blinked. I knew what it was doing. Spiders did this on Earth. They would inject digestive enzymes into the carcass and then suck out the liquefied remains.

Indeed, the predator seemed to be doing just that. I could see its tongue distend just a bit as it sucked out the meal from its prey.

I was enthralled by this. I was the first human to witness alien life, and better yet, to see it _hunt_.

I heard a few chirps nearby.

I turned in their direction and saw a number of smaller animals, including two small theropods, a group of large bipedal birds with a colorful frill of feathers, and a few mammals, synapsids and other alien lifeforms all surrounding the large predator.

It resembled a kill site in Africa. The large predator and or its family would eat at the very center. When they finished, the larger scavengers would move in. When they had eaten their fill, the last and smallest scavengers would pick the carcass clean. It was an efficient, well oiled recycling machine.

This gave me an idea. Perhaps I could join this little hunt. Readying my spear to enforce my claim, I took a few steps forward, and approached to a position just sixty feet from the predator, which, based on its method of hunting, I decided to call the "Arrowtongue".

The other carnivores all seemed surprised by this act. While the Arrowtongue focused exclusively on its meal, several other animals became noticeably agitated. One of these was a particularly bold _Herrerasaurus_ , which advanced towards me with a growl.

I sighed, and turned. I had expected something like this. I was hungry, and I needed to enforce my claim as second to eat in this heiarchy. Otherwise I might never be able to get the parts of the meat that were actually edible.

I readied my spear as the _Herrerasaurus_ closed in. It seemed a little unwilling to attack head on, so I took the opportunity.

Taking a deep breath at my own bravado, I let out a loud yell and rushed _forward_. The _Herrerasaur_ hissed and stood its ground, but as I closed in, it lost its nerve and fled. I chased it a few feet, and yelled out again to signify that I wouldn't tolerate an attempt to subvert my claim.

As the _Herrerasaur_ slunk back to its fellows in defeat, I felt an overwhelming surge of pride. I _had_ stood up to my opponent and _won_. I had now earned a place, however low, in the pecking order of this world.

I grinned, and turned back towards the Arrowtongue. To my surprise, it was looking in my direction, but did not stray from its meal, instead focusing on eating its fill.

It was at that moment that I noticed something else. A small white-feathered _Velociraptor_ was circling at the very back. Another pack of raptors, two males with tan feathers and a blue mane, and two females similar to the first raptor, but with slightly grayer feathers, was at the end.

I noticed that the younger of the two males seemed to want to approach the omega female.

The older male snapped at his younger fellow, warning him to stay put. I was a little surprised by that. But I guess that kind of thing was common in raptor society.

Then, the group's demeanor, and that of the entire congregation of scavengers changed. I wondered why that was, before a sense of intuition let me know that…

I turned to see the Arrowtongue walking off, leaving the carcass unguarded.

I guess, that was my turn. I began to walk forward. As I neared the carcass, I got ready to shear off a large hunk of meat for later. But as I prepared to do so, I heard a loud series of vicious barks.

Turning, I saw the alpha male raptor posturing aggressively a few feet away. He seemed to be as interested in this carcass as I was. His pack, however, hung back. It seems he was challenging me to a one on one.

I froze. Was this really worth it? I knew raptors were deadly. A single puncture by that formidable sickle-shaped claw on his foot could end me.

I turned to leave, before a loud screech sounded out.

I suddenly felt a stabbing pain in my back and the weight of seventy pounds of raptor follow.

I yelped as I hit the ground. The raptor then leapt off, and began to bark aggressively to his pack.

They all showed clear signs of submission. The omega female even turned to leave.

But I also noticed he was distracted. Groaning, I pulled myself up, and with another battlecry, rushed forward.

The raptor turned and leapt at me with his claw aiming for my chest. He's stab me in the lung if he hit me.

As I rushed forward, everything seemed to be in slow-motion. The die had been cast. I couldn't retreat now. It was _do_ or _die._

As we closed the distance, my adrenaline kicked in.

The last second seemed to go by like an eternity. He leapt into the air, his claw extended. I closed my eyes, and will all my might, thrust the spear forward.

There was a sudden pained screech and the spear snapped in half with a sickening crack.

I opened my eyes. The raptor lay on the ground, a pool of blood forming around the epicenter of the stab. My spear had struck true. He would die within minutes at the absolute most.

I panted. I could feel stinging pain in my back. But I had survived. I had survived _three_ brushes with death in two days.

I began to laugh, before I stopped. I looked to the raptor pack, who all looked at me with utter shock on their faces. Even the omega female seemed utterly thunderstruck.

Then, she chittered at me.

I stopped. Was…she trying to _talk_ to me?

I stood up.

She took a step forward, ignoring the puzzled looks of the pack.

She lowered her head submissively. I stopped. What…

She stopped just a few feet away, chirping softly.

Was…she trying to defer to me as…

My eyes widened. As an alpha?!

Then, the young male followed suite. The same gesture. Then the two twin raptors. They all looked at me with the same expression.

I wrote it off as nothing but my own imagination, and turned to grab the meat I so desperately needed.

But as I stepped forward, I heard each raptor take a step to follow me.

I turned back. They were looking at me expectantly. Like how a dog would look at me.

I blinked. I turned and held out my hand. If I was wrong…

 _No! I need to stay focused now!_

The raptors seemed puzzled, but then the young male walked forward and sniffed my hand. He then looked up at me, and chittered. I blinked. Was that some kind of declaration of allegiance or something?

I stopped. If they truly were my pack now…

I reached my hand forward. The raptor froze. I began to scratch behind his skull. He seemed unsure about it at first, but then began to make an eerily cat-like purring sound.

The other raptors seemed to accept this, and looked ready for my orders.

I grinned a little. I guess I could use a pack of hunting animals.

I returned to the meat. But the pack hung back. I guess they were used to letting the leader eat first. I sighed. I wouldn't be _that_ kind of leader.

I moved to the side a bit, exposing the fleshy torso of the animal to the pack. It took a few seconds, but they soon approached and began to eat.

I grinned, and after bringing some meat into my inventory, I turned to my pack, and watched them eat. After a few minutes, they had eaten their fill, and looked to me for orders.

I turned, and began to head home. The raptors quickly followed.

 **A/N: So that was the first chapter. If you have any ideas or requests for items or plot devices, please let me know. I will CONSIDER requests and ideas for characters. Also, as with Lionheart, this story is a collaborative effort between my two best friends and myself. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, as it was really fun to write. Also, please read and review. It really helps us out.**


	2. Chapter 2, New Friends

_So yesterday wasn't a dream?_

That was the first thought that entered my mind when I woke up. Just the idea that yesterday's events were some kind of fantasy I cooked up seemed silly now. It was obvious that I was staying here.

Whitetip, the raptor who seemed most calm, stirred beside me, her soft, fluffy feathers brushing against my arm.

Alone among the pack, she decided to sleep in the tent. The others seemed content, at least for the moment, to rest in a small thicket not far from my tent.

The very fact that I had tamed a raptor of all creatures still surprised me. It was absolutely incredible.

I always loved dinosaurs, and I was still mesmerized by them. Even after seeing their darker side. Indeed, while this environment was a harsh one, it remained the only place I really had right now.

I sat up. Whitetip opened a single eye, glaring at me for disturbing her sleep, before huffing in indignation as she returned to her sleep. I chuckled, and began to pet her neck.

She purred softly, but didn't do anything else.

I shook my head in exasperation.

 _Just like a dog_.

I got up, and began to consider my options for the day.

 _I need food, and to bathe…_

I stopped.

 _Yeah, that might not happen for a little while…_

I sighed, missing some of the creature comforts from my old life.

 _I could also look for the materials necessary to make that rifle._

I decided that would be the wisest choice. I could hunt with the pack later. Right now I needed

something that would give me an edge over some of the wildlife.

So, having made up my mind, I headed out.

It was a hot day today, but luckily for me, a lot of the items I needed were much more conspicuous than on Earth. They seemed to be different types of rock distinguished by color, texture and hardness. I learned very quickly how to distinguish them.

Within the hour, I had enough to craft a supply of ammunition and my first rifle.

I grinned as I readied it.

 _Better make sure its works._

I took aim at a nearby tree. I held my breath, and pulled the trigger.

There was a loud "boom" as the characteristic orange flash let me know I had at least fired something. Less than a millisecond later, it hit the tree. Fragments of wood dispersed from the impact site, while a few birds fled at the sound.

I stopped. I had my own weapon. Perfect.

That's when I got another idea.

I went into the replicator, and began making something new. I began designing a house.

I noticed it would require a large amount of sandstone. Then…

I blinked. I noticed a tip above the resource requirements. It said "a replicator can create

specialized versions of itself to fulfill a specific task. This can streamline creating."

That single line changed everything.

Suddenly, I got an idea. A resource extraction unit. It would automatically…

I began to type it in. It resembled a mine in design. The "Pathfinder Mine" would automatically scan for resources in a ten mile radius, and extract them over time. From there, I would put them

in a "Pathfinder Forge", which would refine them into items. While they weren't complex or anything(the most I could make was another rifle), they would be much easier to use.

Other pieces of furniture or machinery unified under this enterprise, codenamed Project

Pathfinder after my new house, would allow me to develop something at least resembling of civilization.

Still, my existence here was tenuous at best. Who knew what was out here.

I spent the next three days gathering the required materials for the Forge and Mine. While nothing major happened, it was still, how shall we put it, frustrating.

I also got the idea of a time keeping device. Strangely, it did not go by our usual calendar(despite all my attempts to configure it or program it that way), but by a different one. A year lasted one hundred days of 24 hours each, with each year divided into months, each of which were similar

to a season on Earth.

It also said "1 UE" in terms of the calendar. When I looked it up, it said "Unification Era".

That was strange. What did that even mean?

 _I could be the chosen one to unite all the tribes of this world._

I laughed at my own joke.

Sighing, knowing I wouldn't figure this out, I turned and went back to finally finishing my new house.

It took some time. I could only produce one wall at a time with the forge, so it took another day and a half to set up my home(the other buildings were more like giant computers then buildings, so didn't needed walls or anything other then a control panel), but when it was _finally_ ready, I

was nothing short of ecstatic.

It was a simple little house, but it was more than enough for me.

 **Unknown POV**

"Where-" My sister panted, sweating bullets from the blazing, African heat. "Where are we gonna go? It's been miles and we haven't seen anyone around to help us.."

I could see the desperation and fear in my sister's face. Not that I could blame her.. I mean, it's gotta be well over 100 fucking degrees out here! If I'm telling the honest truth here, we really should be dead right now. We were both with our parents on a trip to Tanzania for an African safari for my 18th birthday, but things didn't exactly go as planned..

 **Flashback: Hours Earlier**

"Oh quit the attitude. We're almost there!" My Mom said chuckling at my despair. We had been on the plane for hours now..

"Easy for you to say." I shot back playfully with a chuckle of my own. "You were asleep for pretty much the whole time!" Mom rolled her eyes with a smile.

"You ready for the safari, Son?" My Dad asked me.

"You kidding? I've been waiting for this for a long time!" I said with evident excitement. I look over at my sister, who was sitting right next to me in the window seat. She had hardly said a word the whole trip, but I could see she was freaked out. I laughed already knowing what it was and I said,

"What? Can't handle a little plane ride?" My sister slugged me a good one in the arm in response. "Ow! Okay, okay fine. I'm sorry." She was 14 years old, so of course she was going to be moody..

"You know how much I hate flying! I swear, I can't wait until we're just on the ground." My sister said.

"Yeah. I'm sick of being crammed in here. I just wanna see the animals." I agreed. Not many words were exchanged after that. I simply looked out the window and took in the view. There wasn't much to look at really: they were just fucking clouds! But honestly what else was there to do on here?

All of a sudden, the clouds I was looking at looked as if they were rising at an alarming rate! I felt a pressure on my chest almost as if we were on a roller coaster. I knew right then that something was wrong. The air masks all came down and the intercom beeped.

' _Oh fuck!'_ I thought in fear.

"This is your Captain speaking.." I could hear the shakiness in his voice. "We're going down! Put on your air masks and brace for impact!" I did as I was told, and looked to see if my sister had done the same. She hadn't.

' _Oh you've gotta be fucking kidding me, Sis..'_

I took off my mask and got her attention. She looked like she was having a panic attack. She was sweating profusely and screaming in absolute fear.

"You gotta snap out of it! Here, put on your mask!" I tried to assist her in putting on her air mask to help with the high air pressure, but it was then I saw that the plane was descending at a frightening speed!

I froze..

There was no way I was gonna make it in time. Right then and there, I closed my eyes and I embraced death.

' _Goodbye Mom. Goodbye Dad. Goodbye Sis.. I love you all..'_

After that, all the noise stopped and all I could see was white..

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My eyes slowly started to open, and I began to take in my surroundings. I thought for sure I was dead, but the weird thing was: I sure didn't feel like I was.. I still felt some bit of pain, though it was very minor. What got me to my feet was the sight of my motionless sister laying beside me.

"Sis!?" I asked in a panic. "Sis, wake up!" I saw her start to stir, and I sighed in utmost relief. Thank God she was still alive! Her eyes started to open, and she too started to look around some. "You're okay." I hugged her. She returned the embrace.

"W- Where are we?" She asked me. "Where's Mom and Dad?" Good question. I looked around at the environment: healthy, green grasslands as far as the eye can see. I saw a few zebra grazing nearby, though they couldn't see me. All in all it looked pretty beautiful. It looked about early morning, as the sun was only just now beginning to rise. I didn't see a plane or any parts of one anywhere now that I thought about it. Odd…

Why did we just wake up on the ground? That's not right! We should both have been on that plane if anything! Just what on earth is happening? How did we get here? Where _is_ Mom and Dad!? I snapped out of my thoughts and noticed I still hadn't answered my sister's question. I sighed and answered,

"I don't know, Sis.. I'm honestly trying to figure that out for myself.. I'm worried about Mom and Dad." She nodded, sharing my worry. No matter how fucking weird this all seems right now, we weren't exactly safe where we were currently at. We had to find civilization or some kind of help if we wanted to survive!

"We gotta try and find some help.." I told her. "We're sitting ducks out here and won't last long without it. We'll figure this all out later." She nodded once again in agreement and she replied,

"Let's go then. The faster we act, the bigger the chance we survive." I had to smile at that. Sure she was 14, and was by no means a little kid. But still, for her age she was very smart and is reacting pretty well in this situation.

So that's what we did. For hours upon hours, we walked through the green savanna, taking breaks when necessary. Our stomachs growled often, and we were both hungry. It had been awhile since we ate. All I had for a weapon if we had to resort to hunting an animal was a 6 inch hunting knife my Dad gave me a couple years back when I gutted my first deer. Not the best weapon for killing an animal, but it'd still work I suppose.. How I got this past airport security, I will never know..

We soon came upon a massive and seemingly barren desert. I thought it to be suicide to head into there, but perhaps there was a desert civilization nearby. It was a risk I had to take.. After about another hour or so, I regretted that decision.. It was well over 100 degrees and I felt like I was gonna die! My sister wasn't any better. We were both sweating waterfalls it was so hot.. We didn't have much water left, and the heat was gonna kill us if we didn't find something soon..

 **Present Time**

"Hey. Did you hear what I said?" My sister asked me, snapping me out of my thoughts. "Where are we gonna go?.. W- We'll die out here in this heat if we don't find help soon.."

"I- I know, Sis.. I'm trying my best, I really am." I replied.

' _God I hope we survive this..'_ I thought with fear and doubt.

We continued the exhausting and life draining trek through this seemingly barren wasteland. I was just about ready to lose it! This is pure torture! Why couldn't there just be somebody right nearby so that we could leave? As I continued to mentally complain, there was a sudden noise.. Almost like a growl..

"Get behind me!" I said to my sister as I drew my hunting knife. I could already tell this was gonna be fun.. It stalked closer towards us as I got into a combat stance. I was prepared to kill this thing however I could. If I'm being completely honest though: I'm scared as fuck by this thing! It could rip your ass to shreds if it wanted to! But, it's either it or us..

The bloodthirsty creature now circled us, still growling.. I made sure I kept my sister behind me and away from the beast. After what felt like forever, my fears actually came true: it charged towards us! The adrenaline rush was, to say the least, absolutely insane! It felt almost like slow motion, yet it wasn't.

I waited for an opportune time to strike and I swung my knife in two slashing motions, barely knicking the beast, and leaving two small cuts down its side. It fell to the ground, not in pain, but in surprise. It shook its head and quickly rose once more. It gave us a vicious roar which caused us both to flinch. I was freaking out! My heart was literally pounding out of my chest! What's worse is that it had started charging again..

"Watch out!" My sister yelled in fear for both of our lives. But I was too late.. My reaction wasn't quick enough. I tried another slash but I couldn't get enough momentum. The beast pounced on me and had me on the ground, pinned!

"Brother!" My sister cried.

I tried to block its attacks, but its teeth literally carved into my shoulder like a knife into a rare steak. I was literally lost.. I didn't know what to do! It would be a miracle if I survived this..

Then a gunshot rang out.

The beast fell limp, whimpering slightly as it collapsed.

 **Jack's POV**

I rushed forward, and with all my might, I tried to push the beast's body from the newcomer it had pinned.

After at least twelve seconds, I managed to roll it onto its side, freeing a teenager almost the same age as me.

I offered him my shaking hand. I still couldn't believe what had happened. I also noticed his blood soaked shoulder.

"Here." I said quickly. I took out a sterilized rag, and gently began to wipe the blood and dirt from his shoulder, trying to stop any infections.

"AGH, fuck!" He shouted in pain from the rag on the wound.

After cleaning the wound, I wrapped the rag tightly around his shoulder as a tourniquet.

"You okay?" I asked quietly.

"I- I'm fine.." the stranger replied. "Who are you? Where are we? What was that thing!? What the fuck is going on here?"

I sighed. "I have no idea. I just got here yesterday. I didn't even know I'd find anyone else here."

I bit my lip. "God damn bastard almost killed me yesterday. This place is one hell of a harsh area."

He managed to finally stand to his feet, as did the other newcomer, and he looked down at the ground shaking his head almost as if he was in thought.

"Shit, man.. I'm sorry. I'm just really confused is all. Me and my sister here were on a plane with our parents going to Tanzania for a safari for my 18th birthday. Then all a sudden the plane started to go down and- and then we just woke up here! We've been walking for hours now! We have no idea where we are, where our parents went, or where to go!"

I nodded in understanding. "Come on, I can get you guys food and water. Though I haven't seen anyone else since I got here. I-"

I stopped. "Nevermind. Can you walk?" He nodded.

"Yes, I can manage. Thank you so much! We'll owe you one for sure, man!"

I smiled and nodded. "You got a name?" He smiled back.

"Drew." He said, extending his hand. "Drew King."

I nodded. "Name's Jack Anderson. Pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise." He replied. I shook his hand.

I turned to his sister.

"Mackenzie." She introduced herself. "But I go by 'Kenzi'."

"Nice to meet you 'Kenzi." I replied.

"Same here." She said with a smile. "Thank you by the way."

I smiled and nodded.

I turned serious.

"Come on, we should get going. It's not safe out here." They nodded in understanding and relief.

"Ya don't gotta tell me twice! Come on, Kenzi." Drew said. From there, we started back for the base.

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"This device right here saved my life. I call it a replicator. Think of it like a video game crafting system almost. You can build and design your own items, but only if you have resources of a certain type. Don't ask me how it works, because I don't have any idea either."

I walked to the small fence surrounding my own little slice of nowhere. I opened the gate, and we entered the base.

I whistled.

Whitetip and Emma (one of the twins) walked into view. Whitetip cocked her head in interest at the two newcomers, while Emma did so, though with less curiosity and more caution.

"Yes, they're _Velociraptors_ , though they're mostly friendly." I said. Drew chuckled.

"I'll keep that in mind." He reached his hand out to Emma to pet her, while Kenzi did the same to Whitetip.

"Hey Velociraptor. How's it going?" As soon as he touched her, she jumped back a bit with a hiss. Drew jerked his hand back. Meanwhile Whitetip was purring as Kenzi petted her with glee. Drew huffed in annoyance and muttered,

"Hmph, just got lucky.." I just had to laugh at that.

I sighed. "Whitetip's the only one who's really that friendly. The other three are still getting used to humans." Drew looked back at Emma, still looking cautious.

"I can see that." He replied.

I then blinked in surprise to see Bluebrow was now sniffing Drew's hand.

Then the young male made a purring sound, before looking up at Drew.

"Wow, Bluebrow still won't let _me_ pet him." I commented. Drew smiled as Bluebrow had let him pet him. With a smirk, he replied,

"He's got good taste. I like him already!"

I rolled my eyes in response.

"Good for you."

Then I remembered something. "Here, let me get you guys something to eat. Got any preference?" Kenzi looked relieved and immediately gave me her answer.

"Yes! I would literally kill for some Lasagna right now.." I looked over at Drew, and he said,

"You can never go wrong with a medium rare steak, man." Kenzi then cocked a brow of remembrance and curiosity.

"I forgot, you can't exactly get that out here, can you?"

I chuckled. "I can make something similar. Trust me, with this replicator, as long as you have the resources, you can get what you need."

I motioned for them to follow me.

We entered my humble abode. A couch, television and carpet were on the right side of a large room, while a large circular device, the Omnicooker as I called it, waited on the left. I programmed in some code, and it began to cook.

"As long as we have at least one of each ingredient, we can make limitless amounts of food." I said, before stopping.

"It will be ready in about five minutes, you guys can watch any of the thousands of movies on that TV."

"Are you _sure_ we aren't dead? And are like, in Heaven or something? This is insane! It's incredible.." Drew commented.

I sighed. "It's not all peaches and cream. We still need a good supply of water, and the local watering hole is usually full of carnivores. We can only go at dusk or dawn."

I sighed. "But we have enough for a little while at least."

But then I remembered. "As far as I can tell though, we can't find our way back. I've tried to make something to get home using the replicator, and it won't let me." Drew and Kenzi both hung their heads down in sadness and disappointment.

"Mom.. Dad.." Kenzi muttered. She began to tear up, and Drew held her in an embrace.

"I know, Kenzi.. I know.." Drew was tearing up as well, but seemed to try and hide it. He decided to change the subject. "So.. you say there's a predator problem at the watering hole, right? And that's disrupting the amount of water you get?"

I nodded. "Yes. At least four different types. Though one..."

I stopped, I heard an alarm going off. It was a proximity alert that would let me know if an animal was within a certain distance of the fence.

I readied my rifle, and began to walk out.

"Wait!" Drew called out. Kenzi started to follow, but I said, "Stay inside! No telling what's out there. I don't want you getting hurt." Kenzi looked hesitant but nodded in agreement.

I walked outside, Drew following. I rushed to the fence, and looked through the gap. I held my rifle, before stopping.

"Its...okay, they're not hunting us at least."

I pointed out.

Of all the predators here, I had finally seen the big one. Two forty foot long _Carcharodontosaurs_ were on the hunt. A herd of long-necked _Saltasaurus_ were migrating towards the watering hole, and the giant predators were about to attack.

They stepped over the hill, and began to march down.

"Son of a bitch.. I'm guessing this is one of many predators that we'll have to deal with in this world?"

I nodded.

"I've seen them only at a distance."

The two giants continued to walk briskly down. It seemed they _knew_ they could strike at _will_.

The two living tanks finally began to accelerate towards the herd, slowly but surely picking up speed.

Then, they picked their target. They rushed forward at a small and frail looking _Saltasaur_ , before finally lunging forward.

One of the two bit into the neck of the sauropod, and with a single bite, snapped it. The ten ton herbivore collapsed to the ground, limp.

The two giant predators then dug in, seemingly content to focus on their large kill rather then attacking us.

I sighed. "Jeez."

" _Okayy_ , I'm officially freaked out.." Drew said. "What if they come after us? Do we kill them?"

I looked down. "I honestly..."

Then I stopped. I could see the larger of the two, a golden colored male with scars on his face, turn to face us.

I froze.

The giant predator began to take a few steps forward, each step shaking the Earth. I raised my gun, though I hesitated. The manner with which he was walking, the caution, the curiosity, the prudent chuffing all suggested that he was more... _curious_ than anything.

Then I saw something else that surprised me. Stepping up over the hill were three other dinosaurs… They resembled a greatly, with the same basic body plan and tiny arms, but were smaller, just thirty feet long.

The female _Carcharodontosaur_ turned and chuffed at the smaller _Tyrannosaurs_ ( _Daspletosaurus_ I believe was the exact species). They walked forward, and after hesitating a bit, they began to eat. The female _Carcharodontosaur_ did the same, allowing them to eat in perfect harmony.

I was speechless. Was this some type of symbiotic relationship or alliance between two completely different species?! Or was it some freak coincidence?

I leaned towards the first for some reason.

"Umm.." Drew began. "Is it just me, or did I expect the bigger one to kill the smaller ones by now? I mean, that doesn't just happen, right?"

I nodded in agreement. "Yes. Most animals don't tolerate even their own species around their kills. Even those that do often clash, like Lions in Africa. This...peace is _not_ normal."

The golden colored male continued, before finally stopping just fifteen feet away from the fence. It was then that I realized that this measly little barrier was _useless_. If he wanted to, he could break through with ease.

 _Then why isn't he?_

Finally, the male lowered his head, and sniffed at us.

"Jack?.." Drew whispered, not removing eye contact from the beast and standing perfectly still.

"Yeah?" I asked with the same nervous tone.

The Carcharodontosaurus stood still, but looked at us, as if waiting for us to make the first move.

"You ever seen Jurassic Park?" Drew asked.

"Yeah?" I replied.

"Is it true what they say about T-Rexes? Does it apply to similar species as well?"

I shook my head. "They had binocular vision like eagles. In fact, most large carnivores, or carnivores in general need good eyesight to hunt their prey. He can see us as well as we can see him."

" _Fuck_.." Drew whisper-yelled, his fear growing by the second.

The beast's whole demeanour was one of cautious inquisitiveness, as if…

I suddenly had an epiphany. I gestured to myself, and said. "Jack."

The _Carcharodontosaurus_ cocked its head to the side, before growling softly at us, as if it was trying to respond. " _Jack._ " I repeated, gesturing to myself, and then to Drew. " _Drew._ "

The creature looked at us, before growling first at me, then in a slightly different pitch to Drew.

I blinked. Unless this was just my imagination, it seemed to be identifying us as individuals, not as just more prey items.

"Should we- should we shoot it?" Drew asked, not quite seeing what I was.

I shook my head. "He's not showing any signs of aggression. He..."

I stopped. "Get a piece of meat from the house! We need to prove that we're not just more potential prey items. He's sizing us up, trying to figure out what exactly we are."

Drew sighed. "Alright, Jack. But if he bites my arm off, that's on you." Drew went post-haste back into the house, though not too fast, to retrieve the piece of meat.

The _Carcharodontosaurus_ had taken another step, so close now that if I reached through the gaps in the fence, I could touch his snout.

I hesitated.

The giant creature stopped, and looked directly at me. He sniffed again, before chuffing at me...in the same way his mate had chuffed at the _Daspletosaurus_.

I froze. That call seemed to be a friendly greeting, or at least a diplomatic affirmation.

I took a deep breath, and reached my hand forward.

Seconds felt like an eternity, before the palm of my hand made contact with his snout. It was leathery, not slimy like many people thought reptile skin was, and…

Then I realized that he hadn't bitten my arm off!

I began to laugh, cursing the sheer stupidity of this move, but also cheering the fact that it hadn't ended in abject disaster.

The _Carcharodontosaur_ growled at me again, before he turned to return to his pack. By this point, I had noticed two young _Carcharodontosaurs_ and three young _Daspletosaurs_ had joined the adults at the carcass.

I guess it was a sort of symbiotic relationship. The larger _Carcharodontosaurus_ might lay in wait for the smaller and faster _Daspletosaurus_ to chase prey towards an ambush. At least, that was my theory. Still, it made the most sense.

I began to laugh again, this time in joy.

"Remind me not to do something that stupid again. I only have two arms, and I shouldn't push my luck." I said sarcastically. I then heard the sound of something plopping on the ground. I turned to see and I saw that it was a piece of meat. Drew stood there with a stunned look on his face.

"Honestly dude, you could be a stuntman or something. That was crazy!" He then started to chuckle. "I think I have a nickname for you now."

I blinked in amusement. "Oh?"

"'Dino-Whisperer'. Seriously, how many dinosaurs have you been on friendly terms with? I wouldn't have even tried what you did. Though I'm kinda glad you did.. That one raptor is pretty cool." He laughed.

I laughed. "Thanks man. I honestly think that most carnivorous dinosaurs here, at least the ones that encountered, are naturally more docile then expected, perhaps due to intelligence, perhaps something else. I don't know. All I know is that they don't seem to view humans as prey."

"It appears that way." Drew said. "But what of the predators like the one we encountered when we first met? Are those ones not the same?"

"I think it's just a matter of which species prefer which prey combined with their relative intelligence or natural behavior. I honestly don't know yet. Though I do want to study the different animals here and actually see which ones behave which way."

I grinned. "My grandfather was a zoologist. He loved animals. I guess I got that from him."

Drew shot me a grin of his own.

"No shit? My father was a zoologist himself! Well, technically my stepfather, but he's practically raised as his own.. That's actually one of the reasons I chose a safari for my 18th birthday. I wanted to learn about animals just as he did, though he mostly studied those from Australia and Africa."

I grinned. "I've always loved those types of animals. Lions were, are my favorite."

I turned back to the pack. They had finished their meal, and were moving on. I got an idea.

"Tomorrow, I'd like to head out and go study some of the animals. Want to come with?" Drew smiled.

"Absolutely. My sis is just as interested in learning as I am. Can she come with?"

"Of course." I replied with a smile.

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 **Drew's POV**

It was early morning in these beautiful, green lands, and the sun had just barely peaked in the sky. Me, Kenzi, and Jack were just about to head out on that expedition he was talking about. Needless to say, my sister was pretty damn excited. She woke me up before the sun even came up. Not that I necessarily liked that..

"So what first, Jack?" Kenzi asked with enthusiasm as we walked out into the open savannah.

Jack pointed to a large, flat plain a little ways from the dry grass covered dunes surrounding us. "That area over there. It's a good area for the grazing animals, so it has the best chance of attracting predators."

He pulled up a pair of binoculars, and grinned. "Perfect. We already have one hunting there. I think its..." He stopped.

"An Arrowtongue. Like the _Carcharodontosaurus_ , not very aggressive to smaller prey. It prefers large food."

He strapped his rifle to his shoulder, and began to walk forward. "Everyone bring enough water?" I nodded and took out two bottles of water: one for me, and one for Kenzi.

"Yup." I replied.

Jack grinned, and nodded. "Alright, let's head out."

We began to head out towards the valley.

When we got there, we finally spotted the creature Jack had mentioned. It was large, with black leathery skin, two large spikes jutting from its back, and a spade shaped head with no noticeable eyes.

"Not quite the expedition I was expecting.." Kenzi commented eyes widening at the creature. "Wish we could find some zebra or antelope or something."

Jack then gestured to a small herd nearby. "See those? Recognize them? They're Sable Antelope from Africa."

"Oh yeah." Kenzi said with a smile. "I see them. That's really cool."

Jack nodded. "Antelopes and other hoofed animals are common here. They just happen to share this place with a lot of other animals."

Case in point, another large animal stepped into view towards a small watering hole. It was a Bison from the prairies of North America! Kenzi cocked a brow in confusion.

"What is a Bison doing in Africa? We _are_ in Africa, right?" She paused. "Then again there are dinosaurs and aliens here too. I really shouldn't be surprised." She said with a laugh.

Jack stopped. "As far as I can tell, while the environment is superficially similar to that of East Africa, I don't really think we're even on Earth anymore."

He sighed. "I do miss it. And this heat does annoy the crap out of me." I sighed as well.

"I agree.. Who knows where Mom and Dad are, or even if they're still alive.." I looked down at the ground in sadness, and Kenzi began to tear up again. "Yeah, I miss it alright.."

Jack nodded in agreement. He seemed just as sad as us.

Then, in the distance, we heard a loud roar.

Jack turned. "I haven't heard that kind of animal before-"

"Leave us _alone!_ "

We froze. Did we just hear someone _speak_?! Was there another person here?!

Jack immediately began running in the direction the voice came from, which was filled with roaring and the sounds of another type of animal we hadn't heard before.

Jack suddenly stopped at the top of the hill.

"Guys...its a Lion. And..." Jack began.

"Get away from my Kovu!" The same voice roared.

Then, Jack rushed down the hill. We could hear the sound of his rifle firing in the distance, before he cried out in horror. "NO! Get away from her!"

More gunshots followed, then there was silence.

Seconds past, and we could hear some murmuring, before, after a good few minutes, Jack finally walked up over the hill, carrying two tiny forms.

"What happened?" I asked with concern.

Jack stopped. I could see two tiny lion cubs in his hands. They couldn't have been more than a few days old.

"A lioness was defending her cubs from a new predator, one that I haven't seen before. It killed her. I avenged her. She left behind two cubs." I looked down and the ground, grasping the severity and horror of the situation.

"Jesus…" I muttered.

"What are we gonna do?" Kenzi asked, sharing my concern. "We can't just leave them all alone.."

Jack sighed. "We're going to take care of them."

He looked down at them.

He looked up. "What worries me is the fact that that pack of creatures was able to take down a full grown lioness."

"What did those new predators look like? You haven't seen anything like them before?" Kenzi asked.

Jack nodded in response. "Skinny, six-legged, with a narrow, viper-like head and a long tail. Tan coloring, with a few...antennae I guess, where ears would be."

"At least eight of them. The gunshots scared them off." We nodded in response, and I then looked back at the cubs in Jack's hands. They were so little. I looked at the one in his left hand. It was golden brown color and for some reason she just stuck out to me..

"May I?" I asked.

Jack nodded. He gently handed me the little golden brown cub. He then held the other, chocolate furred male cub to his chest, stroking him gently. I couldn't help but smile and do the same. The little cub was so helpless. For some reason, these thoughts just immediately started surging to my head: almost like an instinct. I felt like I had to do whatever it takes to protect and raise this cub the best I could. While I was thinking this through, my sister seemed to have taken a liking to the cub in my hands as well. She petted it with a smile.

"Jack? Did their mother say what their names were?" Kenzi asked.

Jack stopped. "She said the male's name was Kovu, but didn't say the female's."

"Ooh! Oh! I'll name her!" Kenzi shouted with glee. "Lauren!" I squinted my eyes at her like she was crazy.

"Uhh, no.." I rejected.

"Hmph, fine.." Kenzi said, annoyed. "I'd love to see you come up with something better."

"Well," I started. "in the Swahilian language, there are many words I could name her that would be fitting.." I smiled as I looked at her. "But I think the one that'd make the most sense would be, 'Adia'. It means 'gift'.." Kenzi smiled.

"Not bad, big brother.. Adia it is."

Jack grinned. "A perfect name."

There was a sudden roar in the distance. Another creature Jack didn't seem to recognize, as he immediately tensed up. "I vote we head back to base. Its not safe out here."

 **A/N: This is a very special chapter. I hope you guys like the fact that LionKingIsAwesome has joined the team behind this story! We're excited to bring you this chapter, and can't wait to write many, many more.**

 **Message from LionKingIsAwesome: Hey guys! I'm glad to say that I'm finally starting to get back into writing! :) I may have abandoned my old series, 'The Human Pridelander', but I'm more than happy to reuse my characters here to hopefully make something even more special, as well as different. It'll give me some more experience in writing again, and before y'all know it, I'll be back writing my own stories in no time! Who knows, maybe I** _ **will**_ **try my hand in a human in Lion King story again of my own.. ;) Ya never know.. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Thank y'all for the continued support! God bless!**


	3. Chapter 3, Contact

**A/N: The Imperials in this chapter belong to Cyrannian from the Sporewiki! I just got permission to use them!**

 **Jack's POV**

"Dad!"

I groaned a little, not expecting to hear Kovu's insistent demand so early in the morning.

"It's seven in the morning!" I yawned. "Can't we try to get up _after_ ten?"

Kovu laughed. "C'mon dad! You promised!"

I sighed as he looked up at me with his big green eyes. I was a total softie. I knew that, and unfortunately, he knew that.

"Alright. Please tell me I'm not the only one who has to get up this early."

Kovu shook his head. "No. Adia is getting Uncle Drew and Aunt Kenzi up too."

"Oh come on!" I heard Drew say in the distance. I just had to smile.

' _Yep, he's up.'_ I thought.

"Alright, Adia." Drew began. "I'm up." Kenzi yawned but didn't say anything.

I pulled myself out of bed, and pulled on my khaki shirt.

I walked down the hall and then down the stairs. Whitetip sat on the couch, sleeping soundly.

"Hey guys!" I called. "Please don't piss off that one animal again. I still have the scar from last time!"

Kovu ran down the stairs. "I can't wait! I can't wait! I can't wait!"

"Woahh kid, slow down! What're you so excited for? What's the hurry?" Drew asked with a grin on his face. He loved to see the cubs so excited, but was still protective and curious just the same.

"Dad said we're going to go on our first trip! He got that new jeep and everything."

"Ohh, that's cool! Your Dad showed me not too long ago. So you're excited, huh?" Drew asked.

Kovu nodded rapidly. "I can't wait to see an Arrowtongue. No! A _Carcharodontosaurus_! No! A-"

"Slow down!" I laughed. "There's going to be plenty of time to see all of those animals." Drew laughed and commented,

"You're starting to sound more like your father by the minute, Kovu."

Kovu grinned. "I'll take that as a compliment!"

" _Actually_ I-" Drew began to quip, but Kenzi slapped her hand over his mouth. She smiled and said,

"Have fun on you trip, Kovu. Be safe and have fun!"

"We will! See you!" He said happily, before scampering off outside.

I turned to the others. "I _never_ remember having that _much_ energy as a kid."

I stopped. "You guys sure you don't want to come? There's plenty of seats in the jeep." Adia gasped excitedly.

"Ohh! Oh, Daddy can we? I've always wanted to see the different animals!" Drew looked at Adia with a smile, and looked like he was mulling it over.

"Well-" Drew started.

" _Please_ , Daddy?" Adia begged.

"Alright.." Drew gave in. How could he say no?

"Yes!" Needless to say, Adia was excited. She bolted out the door to find Kovu. "Hey Kovu! Wait up!" Drew turned to Kenzi and asked,

"Coming?" Kenzi smirked and sarcastically asked,

"And how long have you known me?"

"Right.." Drew said with a chuckle. "Well, let's go if we're going."

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"Woah!" Kovu cried.

We drove past a small herd of Gazelle.

I was about to comment, when I suddenly spotted something in the distance.

"Wait..."

I stopped the jeep, and pulled up my binoculars.

"Guys..." I began.

I handed Drew the binoculars. "See them?"

Three humans were walking along a river not too far away. They didn't seem to notice us yet.

"Yep." Drew replied. "I see them." There was a slight pause as he observed them. "What do you think they want? You think they're lost here just like we were?"

I nodded. "Let's go help them."

I began to drive forward.

As we closed in on them, one of them, a teenager similar in age to us, stopped, and froze.

He looked at us for a second and then began to back away.

Another individual, a man in his mid thirties by the looks of it, held up his hand as if to reassure him. The other, a woman, stood her ground, holding a small combat knife defensively. Drew kept his rifle handy in case he had to use it for defense.

I stopped the jeep, and pulled up a small cloth, and stuck it on a branch. I waved it out the window as a sign of truce.

"Its okay!" I called. "We're friends!"

The older man stopped.

"How do we know and how the hell did you get that jeep?" The younger man called back.

I sighed. "If we were enemies don't you think we'd have already killed you? We have overwhelming force and firepower on our side. Why would we offer a truce if we were being aggressive?"

"Because you're the one with a big ass truck and-" The younger man began.

"Oh for heaven's sake!" The older man groaned. "Sorry about him." He called back. "I'm sure you can understand that we all have a little trouble trusting people out here."

He stopped. "You guys can come out, we won't hurt you."

I hesitated, before climbing out. My rifle was still at the ready just in case. I motioned for Drew to follow me, while Kenzi stayed in the jeep with the cubs.

As I walked forward, I held up my hands to show I was not a threat.

The woman stepped in front of the others. "Wait. To show you're not a threat. Prove to us that you can be trusted."

I sighed. I got my gun. I held it up with two hands, and I laid it on the ground behind me. I could still get it if I needed it, but maybe this would placate them.

"Kick the guns over there." The woman said.

I stopped. "Trust goes both ways." I said curtly.

"We don't mean any harm. We just saw you guys out here and wanted to know if you needed help."

The younger man chuckled. "Well that was one hell of an entrance. Where did you get that anyway?" Drew answered this question.

"Well, it's a bit complicated, but I'll explain it the best I can: Basically we have this weird device that can replicate basically anything. If you have the right materials, you can craft whatever you want, and boom! It appears just as you wanted it to."

The younger man looked excited. He began to walk forward. "Yo! Teach me how to use that thing! Do you have another? How does it work?" He was grinning ear to ear.

"Woah, 'yo'. Slow it down. I thought you didn't trust us?" Drew questioned still keeping his guard up.

"I don't trust _you guys_. I _trust_ that little thing you used to make that jeep."

"If you can produce one more of those things for us, we will join you without a second thought, and will help you in any way we can." The woman interjected. "By the way, excuse him." She added as she pulled the kid away.

I had to chuckle at that.

"So you can actually just _make_ things like that jeep? How long have you even been here?" The older man asked.

"A month, give or take a few days." I sighed.

"About the same time as him.." Drew hesitantly answered. "Though not as long."

I nodded. "You guys need any food, water, or medical supplies?"

The younger man was about to say something, though the woman cut him off. "We have more than enough." She replied abruptly.

"Um, we actually could use some food and water." The older man declared, before sending a disapproving glare to the woman.

He turned to us. "My name's Owen Grady by the way. This is Joel and Hera." He introduced.

"Name's Jack." I replied cordially.

"Name's John. John Smith." Drew said with a hidden glaze of malice and distrust, not wanting to give up his real identity.

I raised an eyebrow at that. I could tell he didn't trust either Hera or Joel one bit.

"Nice to meet you...John..." Joel said, obviously not believing my friend's response.

"Dad?"

I turned to see Kovu had jumped out of the car, and was looking at us curiously.

" _Dad?_ What...how?" Joel began. He seemed utterly flabbergasted. "Did you do it? Did-"

He stopped. "Actually, how can it talk?"

I blinked. " _He_ is my son."

Joel looked like he was about to junk this whole first contact up even further, before Owen elbowed him. "Shut it." He said.

I was starting to get why Drew distrusted them. They reacted with utter hostility to us when we showed no intentions of harming them. They demanded that we give up any hint of protection to satisfy an unjustified amount of personal trust issues. And one of them had referred to my son as an "it".

"Kovu, get back in the car." I said.

"Wait! I didn't mean to say it, this just surprised us, that you're his dad, and that he talks. Did it not shock you when he first talked?"

I stopped.

I looked down. "I think it might be best if we get going." I turned to Drew.

"I thought you'd never ask." Drew said. "One more second here and I'm not sure I'd be able to control my temper.." Drew began to cautiously make his way back towards the jeep, rifle still in hand.

As we turned to leave, we heard Owen growl to Joel. "What the fuck? Why would you say that you idiot?"

I didn't take my eyes off them as I headed to the jeep.

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I sighed under my breath.

"Well that could have gone better." I growled as we drove back towards the base.

"Why were they so scared? It wasn't like you guys threatened them or anything." Kovu pointed out.

"They're just dicks.." Drew replied still angry at what had just occurred. Kenzi slapped Drew hard in his arm.

" _Drew_! Not in front of the cubs!" Drew sighed.

"I'm sorry.. I just don't trust those guys is all.. There's just something about them.."

I nodded. I was about to reply, before I spotted something else. I squinted a little, then realized something. There was a large group of maybe five thousand individuals to the northwest of our base, maybe a good mile away. However, even from here, I could tell that they _weren't_ animals.

"What is with us and suddenly finding people today?" I chuckled humorlessly. After our botched meeting, I wasn't to keen on meeting new people.

Still, I wasn't going to leave innocent individuals out there to die.

I sighed. "Looks like there's even more people out there."

I turned to Drew and Kenzi. "Guys, this time, let's not take any bullshit from them. If they're aggressive or hostile, we respond in kind."

"Agreed.." Drew said with a serious expression.

I nodded, and began to drive in the direction of the group.

As we got closer, we noticed around a dozen or so individuals were conversing near the edge of the group, while a bunch of soldiers kept a perimeter around a large amount of civilians.

Everyone stopped when they saw our car pull up.

As I stopped, I motioned for Drew and Kenzi to follow me. They both nodded in response, Drew keeping a rifle in hand.

As we exited, I noticed something that immediately caught my attention. _None_ of the individuals were human. In fact, they all resembled the dinosaurs that lived on this world. There were at least four different species, one resembling raptors, another the _Carcharodontosaurus_ , another with two semi-circular crests on their head, and a last with something resembling a shark fin on their head. Every species was surprisingly thin, though by no means malnourished. Maybe it just had to do with their reptilian biology.

Judging from their clothing, which was slightly dirty, they hadn't been here long.

One of the individuals stepped forward. A member of the species resembling the raptors, he wore a long, white uniform, complete with black pants and a white cape.

"Perhaps you would be so kind as to explain where we are?" He asked, his expression unreadable.

I was about to reply, but hesitated. This was a very delicate situation. It needed to be handled with great care and sensitivity.(Spongebob reference, lol!)

"You're..." I began. I couldn't quite find the proper way to explain it.

"If I may, Grand Mandator, it's obvious that we're unable to return to the Empire. Our priority now should be to get our citizens to safety. Perhaps they can help?" Another raptor asked, with a similar white uniform, blue scales, and red eyes.

"Who are you three?" The first raptor asked, with genuine curiosity. "I am Grand Mandator Deoclet Caesarius of the Galactic Empire of Cyrannus. While this tale may seem to contrived to be true, it is anything but false."

"We have been stuck here for a few hours, and have no supplies or food. We have no idea how we arrived here, and something tells us you have no idea either. That you arrived in much the same way. Am I correct?"

"That's actually pretty accurate.." Drew replied, still keeping his guard up, though not showing full distrust in them quite yet. "You say you came from an Empire of some sort?"

Another individual nodded. "The Galactic Empire of Cyrannus. We all helped establish it as a beacon of order and power, though one of our rivals has become increasingly belligerent towards our status as the galaxy's rightful government."

This individual was from the _Carcharodontosaurus_ resembling species, with scarlet scales and piercing red eyes.

"A full explanation can be delivered in due time, friends." Caesarius interjected. "Right now, our biggest priority is finding food and water. And this desert seems to lack both."

I stopped. "We have access to food, raw materials, and the like. Perhaps we could enter into a mutually beneficial partnership?" I suggested.

Caesarius and his comrades both seemed surprised by the offer. "We're listening." The second, blue skinned raptor replied.

I pulled out the replicator. "This device gave us what we needed to survive. We'll give you everything needed to establish a colony on this world or attempt to find a way home. The choice is yours. However, should you attack or betray us-"

"I assure you we won't." Caesarius declared, crossing his arms. "If we wanted to fight, we'd have already attacked. Needless to say, your offer is intriguing. I believe a refugee ship would be more than sufficient to get our people out of here."

He stopped. "Your charity is much appreciated."

He said that with genuine thanks, and that surprised me. He had been on guard for most of the conversation, so…

Then, we heard something nearby.

I froze.

Turning, we saw the one creature we _didn't_ want to see approaching.

The _Deinofeilus_ snarled, and began to rush forward.

"Stormtroopers! I need-" Caesarius ordered, before I cut him off.

"No time. We'll handle this!" I replied, nodding to Drew. Drew nodded back and said with a smirk,

"I think it's time I get a little revenge."

I grinned. I motioned for him to flank on the left while I flanked on the right. I rushed forward and fired into the air. "Hey, over here you bastard!"

The _Deinofeilus_ snarled, and began to run towards me.

"Now!" I yelled to Drew. Drew aimed his rifle up in his sights. I saw him hold his breath, and it was almost as if it was in slow motion. He pulled the trigger, a loud boom sounding through the desert, and not a second later, the _Deinofeilus_ fell to the ground instantly, dead. It was a clean shot through the lungs.

I grinned. "Nice shot!" Drew grinned in return and said,

"Thanks. My Dad and I always used to hunt together, and shoot guns all the time! I'm actually pretty good at it!"

I nodded back. Then I turned to the others.

"Impressive. I assume you haven't had much military training aside from the aforementioned hunts with your father?" The blue skinned raptor asked. Drew shook his head.

"No, not any military training. Though I was going to sign up for the Marine Corps just after my trip with my family, not too long ago.."

The raptor stroked his chin, contemplating the idea.

"Grand Mandator, perhaps we should set up a colony in this area should the ship fail? These three humans are our best chance of surviving here, temporarily or otherwise."

Caesarius nodded in agreement. "I agree Admiral Decimius."

He turned to us. "We shall take you up on your offer. What are your names?"

I nodded in response. "Jack Anderson." Drew stood in silence for a few seconds, as if contemplating something. He then looked up at Caesarius after a bit, as if he came to a decision.

"Drew.." He answered. "Drew King."

"Kenzi King." Kenzi replied in a friendly tone.

Caesarius nodded in acknowledgement. "These are Grand Admirals Tector Decimius, Carandial, Valindor Palenix, and Daeron Siriulilus. The pleasure is all our's."

The last two hadn't spoken during our meeting, though nodded in acknowledgment.

"Your graciousness is truly appreciated. Few trust our Empire, and fewer still are truly kind about it." Palenix declared.

I nodded. Then I realized something. Maybe we could all get home! Why didn't I think about it before?! Gah! I'm such an idiot!

I began entering in the data. Then...my heart sank.

The current design was unbuildable apparently. It could only travel to dimensions that were part of a so-called "Nexus", and both the Imperial and our home worlds were not part of this Nexus.

I explained the situation, hoping that the response wasn't anger or sadness.

The response from Caesarius surprised me. "Yet you can still build starships and technology?"

I nodded.

He nodded in response. "Very well. I have a proposition for you, Jack Anderson. Let us work together, to establish a new Empire on this world, and possibly expand said Empire beyond it. We will work with you, so long as you provide the resources and supplies, we'll fight alongside you."

I blinked.

"An Empire?" Kenzi questioned. "You mean like ruling an entire land?"

Caesarius nodded. "Yes. I can tell that each of you have the potential, the will, the drive to lead."

He held out his hand. "Perhaps the Empire did need to trust its neighbors more? Perhaps we can right our own mistakes here." Drew stood there contemplating what he should do. Did he really trust these guys enough to go through with something like this? After what appeared to be much mental debate, Drew smiled and shook his hand.

"Thanks."

Caesarius nodded in response. "Excellent."

I smiled a little. "There is some flat ground right by our home. We can begin setting up your colony there."

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It took us a while to gather the resources required to construct the new city. But within days, a large number of sandstone houses, shops and factories dotted the valley.

The biggest addition was a large citadel at the Western edge of the city, directly north of our own home. This the Imperial Palace, where Caesarius, Kenzi, Drew, and myself would meet to control the Empire.

"Wow." Drew said in awe. "The city is actually really coming together nicely."

I nodded. "It's all thanks to this little remote here." I commented, holding up the Replicator.

"Who would've thought that something so small could make something much greater!" Kenzi commented in amazement.

I still couldn't believe it. It seemed with the larger buildings, the replicator constructed it more slowly. So it gave an interesting idea of construction. Indeed, it looked like someone took a picture of the construction every day, and then strung them together in a film.

"We have our first meeting tomorrow." I commented. "Anyone have any ideas on what to bring up?"

"What about the main structure of our government as a whole?" Drew suggested. "Like is it direct democracy? A republic? A monarchy? Just something straight out of Ancient Rome? That's important to know."

I thought for a minute. What was our Empire? What _was_ its way of ruling things?

"Why don't we bring that up at the meeting? We still haven't officially formed it yet." I commented. Drew nodded in agreement.

"Just thought I'd bring it up." He replied.

I nodded in understanding.

"My friends?"

I turned to see Admiral Carandial approaching. "If I may ask something? What is the future of the Imperial Military? Have you considered any plans or strategies?"

I blinked. That _was_ a good question. We were still in a frontier-type environment. Any ground outside the protective fence that surrounded our city was dangerous ground. We would need a proper Army if we were to maintain our safety, whether from our potentially hostile neighbors or the local wildlife.

"I have been thinking about it a little. However, no concrete plans have been drawn up yet."

Carandial nodded.

"And what of any new survivors that we find?"

"If I may ask," Kenzi cut in. "what do you mean exactly?"

Carandial replied quickly. "More survivors not too far away. Some troopers are escorting them back here."

I blinked in surprise.

"What?!"

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Carandial led us through the city to the other side. To our surprise, it was a large pride of lions! Two males, a muscular, golden furred, red maned one, and a skinny, brown furred, black maned individual.

I stopped.

"Grand Admiral. Mandators. We found them in the desert while on patrol." The leader of the squad explained.

Carandial nodded. "I'll let you handle this." He said to me. "Trooper, scout the area, find out if there are any others."

"Sir!" He replied with a salute, before he and his men marched off.

I turned to the pride.

"Greetings." I began.

The golden furred male blinked, but acknowledged my greeting. "Um, hello. Could you please tell us where we are? We can't seem to find our home."

The lion spoke in a booming, baritone voice.

"We aren't quite sure ourselves.." Drew answered. "I'm assuming you _also_ just miraculously appeared here and you've been wandering about trying to find out what the hell happened?"

He nodded. "Yes. We have noticed that while there are a lot of animals we know of, there are far more we don't. And none of them talk. We were surprised when your soldiers found us and brought us here."

"I'm pretty sure they mean you no harm.." Kenzi cut in. "We're still just trying to figure all this out just like I'm sure you are."

I nodded in agreement. "We're just trying to make sense of all this."

The lion was about to reply, before the other male cut in.

"And I suppose that gives you the right to just keep us captive like this!?" The male lion spat.

I was taken aback by the ferocity of his tone.

Carandial, however, responded with the same degree of caustic sarcasm. "Let me remind you, _feline_ , that it was _us_ who rescued you. You would do well to show more respect when you're in _our_ territory." The lion growled.

"I respect _no one_! We could've handled ourselves, _reptile_!"

The larger golden furred male cut in. "Enough Scar!" The lion known as Scar merely suppressed a growl in response.

He turned to us. "The _point_ is that we have no wish for conflict. Many of the lionesses here are carrying cubs, and we need a place to live in peace. It is obvious that this environment is not safe for us, let alone our children. So I formally request the right to remain here, or at least close by until such time as we locate our home."

I nodded. "We will create an area for you to live in close by. However, you must respect our laws and in return, we'll give you all the food and assistance you may need."

"This is ludicrous!" Scar objected. He turned to his brother. "Mufasa, don't be a fool! Do you _really_ think these… _things,_ are really trustworthy!? They'll stab each and every one of us in the back the first chance they get! Don't let false promises coax you in!" The bigger lion we now know as 'Mufasa' looked at his brother with annoyance and slight anger.

"Scar, _enough_ I said! I won't have this petty and senseless distrust happen anymore! These individuals have offered to help us in our time of need. Don't you see that?.. Think about the lionesses, about the cubs on the way! You have to accept that there are simply good beings in this world. You can't be so negative and malicious all the time, especially if it jeopardizes the future of our pride and family!" Scar looked slightly taken aback. He wasn't aware Mufasa had such words within him. He quickly snapped out of it though and replied,

" _Fine_ , Mufasa! Let the ' _King'_ decide for himself.. Just don't come crying to me when they turn on you!"

There was silence following this exchange.

With a huff, Mufasa turned. "Thank you..."

"Jack. This is Drew, Kenzi, and Carandial." I introduced.

 **A/N: Hope you enjoyed this chapter! This whole chapter was fun to write! Again, if you have any ideas or suggestions, let us know!**

 **LionKingIsAwesome: I'm actually really having fun with being one of the writers on this story! It's definitely way different from what I've done in the past! I hope y'all are enjoying the story so far, as much as I am writing it.**

 **Just a couple of things I would like to say: if you haven't seen it already, there is a reboot of my old series 'The Human Pridelander' by an author by the name of** _ **KurtCobain2001**_ **. He's just as talented a writer as I am, and I have complete faith he'll do great with the series. :) Also, I plan on writing a crossover story of my own** _ **real**_ **soon. The category? God of War/ Kung Fu Panda! It just sounds like a hell of a lot of fun to write in my opinion XD. It will be named, '** _ **Kratos: The Dragon Warrior'**_ **. I hope y'all will check it out when it's released! Anyways, I've rambled on for too long. XD Have a great day/night guys! God bless!**


	4. Chapter 4, Attack!

**Kovu's POV**

"Hey Adia!"

I spotted her in the front yard.

"Hey sis!" I called.

"I'm going to go look for a _Carcharodontosaurus_! Want to come?" Adia perked up in excitement.

"You bet I do!" She yelled in excitement. "Does Uncle Jack and Daddy know?"

I stopped.

 _Oh yeah. Forgot about them._

"Well...no. But we'll just be gone a little while. Besides, we're royalty now, its not like anything will attack us." Adia thought about it for a second, and then shot me a grin.

"Yeah, you're right, Kovu! What's the worst that could happen anyways?" Adia confidently said.

I grinned back.

"Then let's go! Race you to the fence!" I then shot off like a rocket, Adia immediately doing the same.

"Oh no you don't! You ain't beating me!"

"Watch me!" I laughed.

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"Wow, I would have thought we'd have found something by now." I sighed. We had journeyed beyond the fence for a little while. And yet, we had seen _nothing_.

Dad said _a lot_ of predators frequented this area, so I had no idea why none were nearby.

I was about to reply, before I spotted something nearby. It was a striped snake of some kind! It had red, yellow and black stripes on it.

I grinned, getting an idea. Adia then widened her eyes, starting to realize that isn't the best idea.

"Kovu, I don't think that's-" Adia began, before I cut her off.

"Don't worry! I'll save you from the big bad snake!" I declared, before leaping into the air.

"Kovu! Don't!"

My eyes widened when I heard my dad yell out in terror.

 _I am so grounded._

Then, I hit the ground. The snake immediately reared back and…

I felt a sudden, burning pain in my shoulder...

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 **Jack's POV**

"NO!" I cried, rushing forward. Kovu had already collapsed on the ground. He wasn't moving. I recognized the snake. I knew what this meant…

A coral snake. One of the most venomous snakes here.

"KOVU!" I heard Adia cry, tears falling down her face, afraid for her brother's life.

As the hissing snake slithered away, I knelt down, and felt for a pulse. To my horror, there was a weak, rapidly deteriorating one.

I picked him up.

"I need a medic now!" I yelled on the comm.

Drew and I had seen the cubs run out from the fence, and we had followed. But we didn't think…

Minutes felt like hours as I stood there, holding my son close. He was paralyzed, and his breathing was irregular and faint.

"Are you okay, Adia!?" Drew questioned with major concern.

"I- I'm fine, Daddy.." she faintly replied.

"Good." Drew said with relief. His expression then grew more serious. "We'll talk about this later!" Adia's ear went back and she was terrified what he was gonna say to her. She merely nodded. Drew walked up to me and asked,

"How's Kovu? Is he gonna be alright?"

I felt for another pulse.

I could see a medic rushing forward with a kit.

Then… to my horror, I felt none.

I willed myself to let the medic perform the procedure. An antivenom was administered, and while another test showed the venom cells being destroyed, there was still no response from Kovu.

I waited there, cradling my son in my arms, begging, praying for him to…

Seconds felt like hours. Kovu was still. Everything else was drowned out. I just _willed_ everything into hoping he'd be alright. But as more and more time passed and his unresponsiveness continued…

 _No!_

 _It's not true! He'll be alright! He will be! He…_

Then, I heard a faint coughing sound.

My eyes widened. I could feel the _slightest_ rise from his chest as he breathed.

I looked down. Kovu was breathing. Just barely, but he was alright!

I began to cry, and pulled him close.

"He's alright! He'll be alright!" Drew closed his eyes and sighed in relief

"Oh, thank _God_!" Drew said, relieved to no end his nephew would live to see another day.

Then, Kovu's eyes opened. "Dad?" He asked.

I blinked, before smiling.

"Hey buddy."

Then I remembered…

My face fell.

"Why?" I asked.

Kovu's eyes widened. "I…-I thought-"

I closed my eyes. "Kovu… This is _not_ a game!" I said sternly.

"There is a reason I don't let you go out here on your own! These animals are _dangerous_! You could have been killed! You _deliberately_ disobeyed me, and what's worse, you put your _sister_ in danger!"

I looked away.

"You're grounded! One week, no TV, no games! And you _won't_ come out here again for a month!" I declared.

"And not without an escort."

Kovu started to tear up. "But...I was just trying to be brave like you!" Drew put a hand on my shoulder, getting my attention.

"I got this.." He said. I merely nodded.

"Kovu," Drew began. "being brave like your father doesn't just mean you go out looking for trouble, or starting fights, or _anything_ that will put you and others in danger." Drew looked up into the sky and sighed. He smiled and continued to tell Kovu. "It means rising to the occasion for when you _are_ needed.. It means helping others when they really need you, and when they truly _are_ in danger.."

Kovu looked up, astonished.

Then he hung his head. "I'm so sorry." He whimpered.

I sighed, and picked him up, before pulling him close. "You scared me." I said softly. "I love you my son. If something happened to you I don't _know_ what I'd do. There's a reason your Uncle, Aunt and I say don't go out here. It's not to stop you from having fun. It's to make sure you're safe." Drew nodded.

"That's right." Drew said to Kovu. "We love you, and we just want you to be safe. We don't know where we'd be if we lost one of you.." Drew looked at Adia who was sitting nearby as he said this. Adia hung her head in shame, grasping the severity of the situation.

"Kids, this was a stupid idea. _Please_ don't do something like this again." Adia nodded and replied,

"I promise, Uncle Jack, I promise, Daddy. I'll never do anything like this again.."

Kovu nodded in agreement. "I won't either. I promise."

I sighed. "No TV or games for two days. Got that?" I asked.

He nodded. Drew looked at Adia sternly and said,

"That goes for you too, Adia! Understand?" She nodded sadly and faintly replied,

"Yes, Daddy.."

"Alright. Let's go home." I sighed.

I wanted to get out of here as soon as possible. This place was dangerous.

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 **(Later that day)**

 **Drew's POV**

Jack, Kenzi, myself, and Caesarius gathered around a large oval shaped table. Several other members of the Empire also joined. Carandial explained how they were all important leaders in the Empire, and that he felt it necessary to include them.

"Welcome honored representatives." One of them spoke up. A _Carcharodontosaurus_ -resembling Basileus, one of the four races that had joined us earlier(the others being the raptor-like Libertus, crested _Corthrinus_ , and shark-like Mortalitas), began.

"Today we come together to discuss the official founding of our new Empire. As former Consul of the Senate, Guolivian, I would like to suggest the creation of a Legislature to represent the people and any groups that inhabit our Empire."

A Libertus sighed. "Surely that isn't necessary. The Mandator council proved its effectiveness quite well."

I noticed Caesarius' brow furrow slightly at the gray colored Libertus.

"That is not the point, Taev. We are here to discuss something new."

"Yes. I would like to suggest a constitutional monarchy. Power could be shared between the Emperor, Mandators and Congress?" Jack suggested.

"I agree." I chimed in. I looked over at Jack and at the rest of the table. "And what's more, I vote we make Jack the King, or Emperor, or whatever we're calling the leader! He can be trusted.." I looked at Jack with a smile.

Several of the assembled leaders looked to each other, before they began to mutter amongst themselves.

"I agree."

I turned to see Caesarius nodding in affirmation. "I feel that Jack as Emperor, limited in some ways by a constitution, would be the best choice."

"You know what?" I began. "Just so it's fair, why not take a vote on it?"

The officials looked to each other, before they affirmed in response.

"Perhaps three Emperors would be the best choice?"

Another figure had entered the room. It was Admiral Decimius. "I feel that multiple Emperors would be the best choice for us. We require order and security, and if three emperors oversaw the Empire, then that is all the more likely. A monarchy is a dangerous system, so why not strengthen it with multiple heads of state working concert?"

Jack looked down, seemingly thinking it over. "I agree."

Caesarius turned to me. "If that is the direction we are going in, I nominate Drew King to serve as a co-Emperor." I mulled it over a bit, but shook my head in response.

"As much as I appreciate the offer, I'm afraid I can't take that position. I was actually hoping to get more involved with the military side of things. I made a promise to my Dad that I'd join the service and make my country proud!" My face then fell. "Of course, I never got that chance to prove that to him."

Caesarius thought for a moment. "In that case. Why don't we take a vote?"

He turned to Jack. "I would also like to formally request that I be given commissions in the Imperial Navy as an Admiral, and Drew become a soldier in training. He shall learn the ways of combat and of the military."

Jack blinked.

One by one, the various delegates all voiced their approval for Jack's candidacy. However, no-one else put a nomination out for Emperor. It seemed that Jack would be sole Emperor for now.

When everyone had voted, Caesarius turned. "Well, then."

He turned to Jack. "It seems the people have spoken, Sovereign Emperor."

Jack blinked, before he smiled.

"I am truly honored by the decision of this council. I hereby accept the duty to defend, protect and assist the people of the Empire. I shall defend our sovereignty, protect our people and interests, and assist all citizens of the Empire."

"My first act is to create an official Imperial Navy to defend our home and people. Grand _Admiral_ Caesarius shall lead it if he so chooses."

Caesarius blinked, before smiling slightly.

"Very well, Lord Emperor."

Jack turned to me. "I also request that Drew be given a place in our military." I smiled and nodded in appreciation.

"Thank you, Jack.. I mean, _Emperor_." I had to laugh at that.

Jack smiled, and turned to Caesarius. "Find the best drill sergeant. He needs a little discipline before we send him out there with a rifle." He grinned at me.

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 **Jack's POV**

I looked over the design of the new ship. Designed by Imperial technicians to work well in either the atmosphere or in the vacuum of space, this ship was sixteen hundred feet long from bow to stern. It featured a number of high powered, rapid firing laser cannons and was roughly wedge shaped in design.

This ship would be the core of our new military, each ship capable of carrying a thousand foot soldiers, twenty tanks, and fifty cars and trucks into battle.

The first fifteen of these vessels were currently being constructed, while miners were prospecting for the required raw materials in a number of locations. It would take three hours before they were launched, but they would ensure our safety in the event of an attack.

"What do you think?" I handed Drew the schematic for it.

"Damn.." Drew said in awe. "That's one giant ass ship!"

Tira Mizio, the ship's designer, and apparently one who had been with the Empire for years, swelled with pride at that. "They function as flagships, main battleships, carriers, transports and peacekeeping patrol ships. Though I must stress that we need more than these if we are to properly defend a large empire."

"How much crew do they require?" I asked.

"Only five each. A pilot, a gunner, a navigator, a sensor technician, and a captain. Most passengers will be troopers."

"I can be your gunner.." Drew interjected. "Well, after my training of course.. I'm a pretty good shot! Ain't I, Jack?"

I nodded in response. "Indeed you are. Perhaps we can-"

"Emperor?"

I jumped when I heard Caesarius call me on a wrist communicator.

"This is Jack." I replied.

"Emperor. According to sensors we have Republic ships coming at us from the east, supported by ground troops!"

I blinked.

Republic? Ground troops? Ships? Was…

My eyes widened.

Were...were we under attack?

"What…do you mean?!" I demanded.

"Our rivals from Cyrannus! They've arrived here and are advancing into our territory!"

I blinked.

"We have _nothing_ to resist with." I said darkly.

"Contact them!" I whispered.

There was hesitation, before Caesarius replied.

I turned to the nearby screen. Then, another Libertus, this time in a brown uniform appeared.

"Why are you contacting us, Imperial scum?" He asked, narrowing his eyes at us.

I blinked. "I don't know who you are, but you are invading the sovereign territory of the Empire! We are not at war with you, but we have no intention of letting you invade and conquer us!"

The Libertus admiral looked at us in surprise. "After what you did to all those innocent nations, you just expect us to view you as a victim in this conflict. No, your empire must be extinguished. The Republic is, and always will be the rightful Galactic Government of Cyrannus, not your tyrannical regime!"

With that, the communication ended.

I slammed my hand on the table. This guy had the nerve to blame _us_ for this invasion?! How dare he! He would pay.

"Report, what is the status of our fleet?" I ordered.

"The fleet has just launched its vessels. Their crews are loading in already."

I sighed in relief. "Alright then. Get me Caesarius."

"Emperor?" He asked.

"You're in command. Get every ship out there and blow those bastards to hell." I snarled.

I stopped. "I'm going with you. I'll meet you on the command ship."

With that, I ended the transmission, and turned to Drew.

"I won't let them conquer us. Will you join me?"

"My friend," Drew began. He then paused for a bit and then grinned confidently. "those fuckers won't know what hit 'em!"

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I held my breath. The new army, with their old uniforms, but lacking ammunition, so now using the very same type of rifle I had designed earlier, were assembling with at least fifty Panzer IV tanks(which had the armor and firepower of an Abrams Tank). We could see the Republic fleet in the distance, as well as a large army on the ground.

I took a deep breath. This would be one tough battle.

Still, I held my rifle at the ready, and turned to my troops.

"Men!" I cried. "For your homes! For your friends! For your families! For the _Empire_! Forward march!"

A cheer rang out as we began to march out of the gate, and the ships began to head up to engage the Republic fleet.

Then, the first sound of fire followed. Looking up, I could see Caesarius' command ship opening fire on the Republic fleet. The torrent of green lasers incinerated an unfortunate smaller ship, with another falling short order.

As we closed the distance with the enemy army, the air filled with laser fire between the two fleets. I turned to Drew, who had his combat uniform on, all his gear, and his rifle in hand.

"You ready?" I asked him. He nodded in response.

"Damn straight I am!"

I grinned, and held up my rifle.

"For the Empire!" I yelled. A thousand rifles opened fire, the sound of thousands of rounds of ammunition going off filled the air. A tank pushed forward, and fired a shell into the enemy lines.

I threw myself to the ground, and opened fire.

 **Drew's POV**

' _So this is what war is like..'_ I thought as I continued to open fire on these Republic bastards! I had already killed around 7 of them.. I was surprisingly a better shot than anticipated, a deadeye almost! It must be a gift.. Or maybe just experience..

The battle drew on for another 10 minutes and the intensity only grew! There were bodies strewn everywhere.. On both sides.. Damn these fuckers! Just as I was about to put another round into another asshole's chest, I felt an intense burning on my left shoulder, the one the predator from before had attacked. I continued to shoot the same target I had laid eyes on. It was after that moment, however, when the pain finally hit me.

"AGHH!" I shouted in absolute pain. I sat down behind cover and observed the wound. It looked pretty bad.. Blood was running down my arm at a rapid pace.. It would need medical attention, and fast!

"Can I get a fucking medic!?" I shouted out, hoping someone would hear me.

 **Jack's POV**

Another explosion followed. I rapidly loaded another magazine into the rifle, and continued to fire rounds into the enemy. Then, I saw something that gave me hope.

A massive Republic vessel even bigger than our Star Destroyers was consumed in a fireball, and a gap opened up.

Caesarius took the opportunity. Leading four of them, he pushed into it and engaged in a deadly broadside match with the smaller Republic vessels.

That was when the tide of the battle turned. Our ships seemed to have better firepower then the Republic vessels, while reinforcement ships quickly arrived, allowing damaged ships to retreat. Meanwhile, on the ground it was going less well.

Our forces were embroiled in bitter stalemate with the Republic ground troops...before…

I looked up to see another Star Destroyer arc down towards the battle. Then, it blazed fire. Not on the Republic ships though…

All of its fire went directly into the Republic army. My eyes widened in awe as dust and explosions consumed the center of the Republic army. It was like an atomic bomb was dropped.

Then, it stopped.

While the Republic fleet continued to resist, albeit by now in a fighting retreat Eastwards, their ground forces had…

My eyes widened. Their soldiers were raising their hands in a sign of surrender.

The shooting on the ground began to stop.

I blinked, before turning to look at the air.

Then I saw it.

A similar amount of CIVILIANS were a medium distance away from the battle, with a large amount of the Republic fleet retreating to defend them.

 _So they were stuck here same as us?_

Another group of Star Destroyers broke their left flank, and was able to force their way behind the Republic vessels, surrounding them.

On the ground, medics were tending to the wounded on both sides.

Then I saw something that shook me to my core. A medic was helping Drew, whose shoulder was covered in blood!

I rushed over.

"Drew!" I cried.

I knelt by his side.

"Nice of you to join me." Drew sarcastically said with a chuckle. "OW!" He yelled as the medic had pressed down too hard on the wound.

"Sorry." The medic said. Drew merely nodded. Before I could even ask a question, Drew explained it,

"Some bastard got me in the shoulder while I was lining my sights on someone else. I still kept pushing on in battle even though I was wounded.. Killed like 10 more of those fuckers! Only when the medic arrived did I stop."

I laughed. "Well your efforts paid off. It looks like their army has surrendered.

"Jack!"

I jumped when I heard Caesarius' sudden voice on the communicator.

"We've cornered their president! I feel you and Drew should decide their fate in person."

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 **Jack's POV**

Drew, myself, Caesarius, Decimius, and Carandial marched through the Republic's terrified citizenry with two squads of troopers. The citizens parted rapidly, looking at us like we were demons from hell.

Indeed, it made sense. By this point, the republic fleet had been forced to surrender under threat of the destruction of their people. Now it seemed, we'd be able to meet the president who ordered this attack.

Finally, we spotted them. A group of figures, including several Libertus, and a few species I didn't recognize, all looked at us with shock and confusion.

"Well, well, well." Caesarius said triumphantly, holding a pistol himself as we approached the group.

"Senator Apollo, Captain Roslia, Admiral Cretacea, and _president_ Valkistair." Decimius said. "At last we meet in battle. And now you understand why _we're_ the dominant galactic government."

The aforementioned leaders all bristled at that insult, but didn't say anything.

"Before I make my decision, I want to hear your justification for attacking _my_ empire." I snarled.

"Yeah, you got a lot of innocent people hurt or killed you fucking bitch!" Drew yelled in anger.

The president blinked. "I wasn't aware Tyromairon had appointed an heir. Also, what makes you think you're any better? You destroyed the Republic, oppressed thousands of worlds, and then demand to know why we took an opportunity to liberate innocent people who had no voice. You may not be the Emperor who committed those crimes, but you are still Imperials, and the blood of all those innocent people you murdered in cold blooded genocide is on _your_ hands!"

"We should have removed your pathetic republic long ago! The Emperor was more merciful than any of us would have been." Carandial declared.

I held up my hand, signalling for everyone to stop. I walked forward. "We are not the Empire you claim deserved to be destroyed. Each and everyone of us arrived here with no idea where, when or even what this place was. We had to survive out here with some of the deadliest predators ever known, in one of the harshest environments ever known. Do you honestly think that we _wanted_ this war?"

The president blinked. "How..."

"We came here to establish peace. _True_ peace. Something the Republic could not provide. We went to war to defend our citizens. We seek something better than the Empire we left behind." Caesarius added.

"We don't want to fight. We don't want any casualties.." Drew added. His expression then hardened. "But we will if we must.."

I nodded. "Tell me what you think us _evil_ Imperials will do for this act of aggression."

I began to circle them like an underwater predator.

"I assume you think you'll be executed publically and painfully to serve as an example?"

I stopped. "No."

"I'll tell you what I'd do.." Drew said as he walked towards the Republic's president. Out of nowhere he wound up his fist and uppercutted him, knocking him down to the ground. "I say we find out what else he's planning! Get some info! This guy looks like a snake! He'll betray you in an instant."

I nodded in agreement. "Troopers, take him to interrogation."

I then turned to the others.

"Know this, Emperor." One of the Libertus, with orange scales and a scrawny build said suddenly.

"You may destroy us, but you will never destroy the republic for which we fought."

I walked forward.

"I could end your entire Republic with a single order."

"But thank the gods I won't."

There was stunned silence.

I turned to Caesarius. "Admiral, bring food to these civilians. They played no part in this war."

I then turned to the same Libertus. "Did you expect me to say that?

He blinked. "No, I must confess I didn't."

I nodded. "Do you really think we intended to go to war. I would have been content to _aid_ you in establishing a colony here. To trade. To ally with you even."

I stepped forward.

"That is why your republic will remain, but it will be under the close watch of the Empire. Your people will be protected by Imperial soldiers and ships. Your laws will be approved by the Empire. However," I paused.

I turned around. "I feel that you in particular could be of some use."

"You and your family will remain in Collosus, and you will see learn what I mean when I say we didn't intend to go to war. In fact, I reserve judgement. Prove to me that you can be trusted, and I will let you go free in six months time."

I stopped. "As of right now, your Republic is under Imperial occupation. Any further acts of resistance will _not_ be tolerated."

"If you violate any of this, and act with aggression again, I will not _hesitate_ to kill you myself!" Drew angrily declared, reflecting on the innocent lives lost today. "That's a promise.."

 **A/N: As with the Imperials, the Republic in this sense belongs to Cyrannian!**


	5. Chapter 5, Conference

**Jack's POV**

I grinned as the Imperial ground troops marched victoriously through Colossus. The Star Destroyers loomed overhead in three columns (each with four or five ships), while the troops marched in lines of ten each.

Caesarius, Palenix, Carandial, Decimius, Siriulilus (and Drew, as the officers invited him to join them at the head of the army) stopped, and saluted me.

I saluted back.

I then turned, and nodded to some other officers. They each handed medals to the soldiers who had fought most bravely in battle. I took the last one, and offered it to Drew.

"For gallantry and bravery far exceeding the call of duty, I hereby hand you this medal, the Imperial Shield, for your heroism. And, as a bonus, an official commission in the Imperial Army as a Corporal. Carandial has offered to take you under his wing and teach you how to be both a soldier and then, perhaps, an officer." I declared, holding out the medal. He looked at me, stunned.

"An officer?" Drew questioned. "I- I don't know what to say, I-.." He paused, as if he was thinking about how to respond. "What power do officers hold in our military? What would I do?"

"A Lieutenant, the rank of officer you'd be given, is a rank that allows its holder to assume command of squads of troops in the event of a battle, and be part of a ship crew, with promotion to Captain or even Admiral being a potential option in the future. We need good men like you." Carandial interjected, walking up beside me.

"You have the heart of a warrior, and the will of a true leader." He added, before saluting Drew with a small smile. After a few more seconds the shock finally wore off, and Drew gave a small smile of his own, as well as a salute towards Carandial.

"Thank you." Drew said. He then cocked a brow, as if he was gonna ask another question. "But, this is all just happening so fast! Are you sure I'm ready for this kind of power and responsibility? What if I'm not good at it? I need some training at least as well.."

Carandial nodded. "Think of this as that training. You will spend one hundred days as a brevet Lieutenant, or a candidate for that position, learning the trade, how to fight, how to command, how to inspire your troops. Then, should you feel yourself ready, you would receive command of your own Division and ship. If you do not feel ready, then you may continue for as much time as you need."

Carandial motioned to the other Admirals. "We all feel that you _will_ make a good soldier, and hopefully, one day, an Admiral." Drew smiled at that.

"Admiral? Wow.." He looked up slightly, the thought of such as thing made him excited and more dedicated to improving than ever before! "Of course, I still need some major work on my fighting tactics and strategies. I should _not_ have gotten shot, yet I did! Imagine what would've happened if I _wasn't_ so lucky.. I'd probably be dead. It's gonna take a lot of work, but Admirals, I promise you and the whole Empire this: I will make it my life's mission to become the best damn soldier this military has ever seen!" He finished with enthusiasm.

I smiled. "Then I officially welcome you into the Imperial Navy, _Brevet Lieutenant_ Drew King."

"Thank you.." Drew graciously replied.

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After the Victory Parade, Drew and I headed back to the house. I was tired, and I thought a good movie and hanging out with my best friends and my son sounded like a great idea. "Any ideas on what movie we could watch?" I asked as we headed back.

I began to rattle off some ideas I had. "Any of those sound interesting?"

Drew proceeded to offer a suggestion. I grinned, and after agreeing that said movie might be the best, decided on it. Kenzi put her hand on Drew's shoulder catching his attention.

"Are you okay, Drew? You haven't really said much after what happened today.." Drew gave a reassuring smile to his sister and replied,

"I'm fine, Sis. Really.. I just- I feel like I could've done better. Like.. I should've seen it coming, or been more careful or-" Drew was cut off by Kenzi.

"Drew. All that matters is that you're alive. We don't know what we'd do without you.. You'll grow better over time, it's a part of the learning process." Drew once again just had to smile. She really was wise for her age.

"Yeah, Daddy!" Adia said. "I love you and I'm glad you're here." Drew picked up Adia and embraced her, Adia nuzzling him in response.

I turned to see Kovu running up to me. He hugged my leg. "I'm so glad you're okay dad!" He cried happily.

I smiled, and picked him up. "I love you to son." I replied, hugging him.

"Emperor? Lieutenant?"

We turned to see Admiral Siriulilus.

"Yes Admiral?" I asked, a little annoyed that we might not be able to enjoy some downtime.

"More survivors were just rescued. Four humans and their pet." Kenzi gave an unsurprised kind of look.

"How many more survivors will arrive here? I wonder if there's an end.."

I shrugged. "I guess we won't know for sure. It seems to be kind of random."

I turned to Drew. "Looks like we have to explain this whole situation for the upteenth time." Drew sighed.

"It appears that way.."

I nodded, and began to follow Siriulilus to their location.

When we got there, I noticed that there were indeed other human survivors.

There were two girls and two boys, and a strange, terrestrial squid-like creature with stalks for eyes sitting on the lap of one of the girls. One of the girls had red hair, ending in pigtails, hazel eyes, and was a little shorter than the others.

The skinnier of the two boys had tan skin, black hair, brown eyes, and was the tallest. The next boy was fairly muscular, with blonde, spiky hair and green eyes. Then there was the last girl.

She wore a single, teal jumpsuit, with reddish brown hair ending in a ponytail. She had beautiful blue eyes. Wait...what?!

 _Did I really just think that?_

"Um, greetings." I said sheepishly as we approached.

The teens looked to each other. "You're...the Emperor these lizards keep talking about?" The blonde boy asked, seemingly amused by that idea.

I nodded. "And one of only three humans in this city. Well, until now."

I stopped. Now time for my least favorite part of this whole process. Telling them the bad news.

"Is there any way you could repair our craft?"

I blinked. "Craft? What do you mean craft? Did you arrive here in another way?"

The girl in the jumpsuit blinked. "Yes. We arrived here after the Operating System was compromised during a vortex entry? Your soldiers found us when we arrived."

"Operating vortex- Say what now?.." Drew asked in confusion, not understanding.

"We broke our time machine." The blonde deadpanned, earning him a glare from the other teens.

I was stunned by the whole idea of time travel, though in hindsight, I guess I shouldn't have been. After all, we were basically teleported into this world.

"What my friend is trying to say is that..." the girl in the jumpsuit paused, seemingly thinking about how to word her answer. She then sighed.

"Yes. We broke our time machine. Considering you have fairly advanced technology, perhaps you could assist us in this conundrum?" Drew sighed, preparing to explain exactly what's going on.

"Unfortunately," he began. "We're not even sure there _is_ a way out.. If there was, we would've been long gone by now. Many people, or survivors such as you, seemingly arrive here with no explanation, and we have yet to deduce exactly what the cause of that is… So that means at least for now, you're stuck here."

The teens blinked, before looking to each other. Each had a distinct reaction.

The skinnier boy seemed horrified, the redhead confused and fearful, the blonde stunned, and their seeming leader, the girl in the jumpsuit, just sat there with an unreadable expression.

I sighed. "Look, we're truly sorry. We understand what you're going through, more than you know. We understand it's tough, but you're _very_ lucky that our soldiers found you when they did. This environment is _not_ safe. Many of the animals here can _easily_ kill a person. My friends and I know that from experience. But behind these protective fences, you're safe."

I stopped, before turning to the soldier guarding them. "Get them to a housing unit, and send them some food."

"Who _are_ you guys?" The blonde then asked.

I stopped. "I'm Emperor Jack. And you are?"

"My name's Cassiopeia Gaia, though my friends just call me C.G. This is Ethan, Emily, Luis and our...pet Terrasquid Squibbon."

"I'm Drew King, and this is my sister, Kenzi." Drew introduced, motioning to Kenzi. Kenzi smiled at the newcomers in a friendly way.

"Nice to meet you." She said.

"Pleasure." C.G responded, before Ethan(the blonde) then interjected. "Do you guys have any food? We're kind of starving."

Emily(the redhead) elbowed him in response. "Real nice dude. Not even here five minutes and you're already demanding some food." Luis(the skinny kid) asked.

I laughed. "Its fine. We have plenty. In fact..." I began. "We'll show you some of the best food you've ever tasted."

"What not just have them stay at our place for awhile?" Kenzi suggested. "If they need help I think we should give it to them." Drew was about to interject, but he caught a glimpse of the redhead and smirked a little.

"I agree." He said. "Why not, right?" Kenzi caught onto this and simply rolled her eyes.

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"Wow, this is great!" Luis commented, after taking a bite of the chicken.

I nodded. "And no animals are harmed making it."

Emily seemed relieved by that. "That's good. Though where does the meat come from then?"

"This replicator thing." Drew answered. "It can literally craft and make literally anything! Well, most things.. So long as you have the materials needed for it."

I nodded. "We have an entire agency devoted to the gathering of the materials."

"And that is how you develop these technologically advanced structures, tools and vehicles despite having no infrastructure prior?" C.G asked.

"Yes. Our empire would be impossible without it." I replied.

"Wow, that's amazing!" Ethan commented. "Yeah... " Luis began, before grinning. "I am a techie nerd, so I _have_ to like this stuff."

"Don't even start with that!" Ethan laughed.

I chuckled.

We continued to eat for a while. I already liked these guys. It was nice having more people my own species and age to talk to.

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"Let's get down to business." I said as I took my seat. Drew, the Admirals and I were currently having our first meeting since my appointment as Emperor. We would be hammering out much of the details of the Empire today. It was a _very_ important meeting.

"So guys," Drew began. "there's something real important I've been wanting to ask ever since we formed this Empire.."

I nodded. "Go ahead."

"Exactly how far are we going to expand? How big will our empire and its land mass be? Would it depend on the population or not?"

Palenix seemed intrigued by that concept. "As far as I can tell, we have little reason to rapidly expand at the _moment_. However, I do recommend contingency plans for integration of large groups of survivors, as well as a direct plan of action when it comes to settlement. Our citizens will _definitely_ wish to expand beyond the walls of Colossus. We should be ready for that." Drew nodded in agreement.

"I agree." He responded. "About the acceptance of those survivors who wish to become citizens, isn't there some sort of safety check we can do? To separate the good people from those who could potentially be a threat? Luckily we haven't run into something like that yet, but we should be prepared."

"We definitely need one." Carandial replied. "I personally believe a direct and planned expansion of the government, Navy and entire Empire is necessary. While it is an honor, I personally believe that a true civilian government needs to be established. I feel that we should devise a long-term plan."

"And what of the Republic?" Decimius asked.

Silence… After a long pause, Drew finally spoke up.

"The Republic government are a bunch of snakes in my book! Many of our soldiers died in that conflict that they caused! That may have just been the cause of their president, but I still say they need a close eye on them!"

"Well said. Though I must confess, they have become quite troublesome." Caesarius sighed. "Several of them have begun protesting their collective punishment. Though their military and political leaders have been keeping quiet. Surprising, considering Apollo's history."

"And what would that be, Grand Mandator?"

We turned to see one of the guards had brought in said Senator.

"I felt we should hear his excuse before we pass judgement." Decimius declared.

I narrowed my eyes at the Libertus senator, who stood a little ways away, arms crossed. Drew sighed, but then nodded, hesitantly agreeing with Decimius.

"So, what's your excuse bitch? Come on, we'd love to hear it!" Drew demanded.

Apollo responded with calm that surprised me. "Perhaps you'd like to know that I advised President Valkistair _against_ attacking your Empire. If you want to know, I was on the first ship to arrive here, and I ordered the captain to attempt diplomatic contact. However, I was overruled by the President, who, upon recognizing Imperial ships and technology, decided that the Empire was responsible, and attacked. I had no control over that battle, and I, and many of our citizens and soldiers, did _not_ want to risk a war that I knew we'd lose."

He turned to look Drew in the eye. "I agreed to come here for the good of the innocent people whose lives were ruined by that war. Do what you want with me, but let them live. The Republic that attacked you was not the Republic that I risked my life for twelve years to defend."

He turned to Caesarius. "Remember this, Grand Mandator, we were once brothers in arms. You can execute me, but do not think for a moment that the Republic was united in its desire to attack simply on circumstance and hawkishness."

"We're not animals, Senator." Drew said, responding to what he had said to him. "The citizens will live. They've had no involvement in deciding to attack us. Your President and your government on the other hand have some explaining to do.. How do we _know_ that you didn't want this conflict? How do we know you did any of what you said? Answer me that."

Apollo replied by tossing a small disc onto the table. A hologram then appeared.

A representation of Apollo, and President Valkistair followed.

"We cannot just attack based on the assumption that they _might_ be the Empire!" The holographic Apollo declared.

"You're letting your desire for peace blind you to the reality of the situation. The Empire has endangered us all for far to long! President Apaltar should have shown that the Republic will not bow to the tyranny of the Empire, and I would think that you, Senator, the champion of the Republic since its founding, would support retaliation for this act of war."

"Act of war?" Apollo asked. "We arrived here with all our weapons and infrastructure intact! Would the Empire truly-"

"Enough!" President Valkistair said. "We must counterattack now. The Republic is in danger. Only through decisive, _military_ action can we survive."

Apollo gawked. "You may think that peace is possible, but I know deep down, that you agree. The Empire is a rabid beast that must be put down for the good of the galaxy." Valkistair added.

"And what if this isn't the Empire? The universe is surely big enough that similarity between designs and technology is at least possible."

"I said enough! If you aren't going to assist in this, then there is no reason for you to be in here." Valkistair snapped.

Apollo blinked, before angrily walking off.

With that, the hologram ended.

"As you can see, I did not support this war. I argued against it even." He looked down. "I have two children who were on my mind in that conflict, as I am sure many of the soldiers on both the Empire and Republic sides had. I didn't want them hurt or killed by a conflict with an enemy that most likely hadn't caused this." Drew's face turned to that of shock, and also to that of slight regret. He sighed, then turned to the Republic Senator.

"Well, I suppose that speaks for itself.. I apologize for being a bit rash. It's just that so many innocents died. _I_ almost died.. The countless families being separated and torn apart because of this.. It's just a tragedy.." Drew said.

Caesarius looked at the Republic senator with an unreadable expression.

"Perhaps relations can be mended? After all, new evidence has come forward recently about the events that _caused_ this kind of destructive hatred."

Apollo looked up.

"Yes, one of our analysts discovered that you had been set up by Tyromairon and your colleague Guolivian. While the majority of us agree that the Empire was necessary to restoring order to a war torn galaxy, it didn't need to be at your expense."

Carandial interjected. "I agree. Perhaps..." He stopped.

"Emperor? Perhaps this situation can yet be remedied." Drew turned to Jack and added,

"If there's a chance at peace here, I say we should take it.. For everyones' sake."

I nodded. "Apollo," I began.

"Perhaps true peace can be established. With that goal in mind, I would like to offer you this,"

I paused, before continuing. "We have been discussing the creation of a civilian government. However, as you know, there are only a few of us here with the experience or support to effectively run the Empire. With that in mind, I have decided that we shall go public with this information, of the events that led to the War, and a long-term plan for peace."

I sighed. I was afraid of saying this, but it was necessary.

"Perhaps the Republic and Empire could integrate? Citizens, officials, and soldiers from _both_ sides joining together for the good of a _new_ nation. This environment is to harsh and dangerous to not stand together. For that reason, I would like to frame an official Act of Union between our two governments and allow a peaceful unification to take place."

I looked at the Senator. "I am giving you a chance at peace and to form something new, which combines the virtues of _both_ our nations." Drew caught my attention and asked,

"Wait, you mean like combine all of our citizens together as one nation? Also what of the government? We seem to share different ideals than the Republic."

"The Republic believes in peace, freedom, and justice, which, considering what I've seen, the Empire also believes in, in addition to order and security. I don't see how our two ideologies cannot be reconciled." Apollo interjected.

He turned to me. "Though what do you gain from such a concession? Why show us any mercy, or give us these rights or options, when you hold all the cards?" Drew shrugged.

"I dunno.. Guess you'll just have to trust us on good faith." Drew sarcastically said.

Apollo rolled his eyes in response, but didn't respond other then that.

"I still reserve judgement on you and your officers. You will be given citizenship in six months time should you not act against the Empire. Your citizens and soldiers will be given full rights as Imperial citizens, and they will have the right to settle, come and go, and use services as any other citizen." I declared.

I stood up. "But any acts of resistance or aggression will be responded to with swift justice. I do not particularly like perfidy."

I sighed. "Everyone's free to go. We'll discuss more of this next week."

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 **Kovus' POV**

"Aww! They're so cute!" I laughed, looking in awe at the tiny golden-brown cub nestled between Mrs. Sarabi's paws. The Queen smiled at my enthusiasm.

"Thank you, Kovu.." She replied. "Before long they'll be out playing too and you'll have more friends to play with!"

I smiled at that idea. It was nice for my sister and I to finally be able to play with other cubs.

"So tell me Kovu," Mufasa, the King began. "how is it that you and your sister got here? Do you know when your fathers first met you? I apologize if this is a bit much. Simply curious." He ended it with a chuckle.

I thought for a moment. "Well… Dad and Uncle Drew told me they found Adia and I when were just infants. We honestly don't know though, just like everyone else here it seems. Aunt Kenzi said she wonders how we all get here herself." Mufasa stood there with a thoughtful expression.

"Hmm, that's odd. Your fathers haven't gone into much detail about it I suppose?"

I shook my head. "Dad always says that they have their hands full to the point that they can't really afford to spend too much time worrying about it." Mufasa gave a reassuring smile.

"Well they have a lot of responsibility in their hands. I'm sure when the time is right they'll tell you the full story."

I smiled. "I hope so."

I looked back to the little cub. "What's his name anyway?"

"Simba." Sarabi answered with a beaming smile.

I grinned. "Hi little Simba." I said enthusiastically.

Then, the little cub opened its eyes and looked at me. It then let out a small purr.

"You know, five of my pride sisters also have cubs on the way." Sarabi told me. "They should all be here any time!"

I grinned ear to ear. "I can't wait! I hope they like me though."

"I'm certain they will." Sarabi reassured me. "They just might be a handful!" She laughed.

I laughed as well.

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 **Drew's POV**

It was a couple hours after the very important meeting involving that Senator and the Republic. I must say personally that I don't really trust that guy.. Nor the Republic. But if Jack sees some good in them, then who am I to say we shouldn't give it a chance?

I was walking back to the house with Jack and I was hoping we could finally get that family-friend time we missed out on earlier. I told Adia it was alright to go see the newborn cubs that Sarabi and some of the other lionesses in that pride were having. I may just have to go see them myself sometime! I told her to be back around this time, however, so everyone should be at the house.

"Ready to finally watch that movie?" I asked Jack. "I need a break from politics for awhile." I ended with a chuckle.

He nodded in response. "I just want to take my mind off of survivors and war and the like." I nodded in agreement. Before we could even reach the house, I heard Caesarius contact Jack in what sounded like a panic.

"Emperor. Emperor are you there!?" Caesarius asked.

Jack blinked, before responding. "Jack here. What is it?"

"There's a threat to the south! Many of our soldiers have fallen!"

Jack's eyes widened. "WHAT?!" He looked to me, the same expression of panic evident on his face.

"Who the fuck did this!?" I asked Caesarius.

"It was-" all contact then shut off..

 **A/N: Hope you enjoyed this chapter! It was really fun to write! And what is this new threat...**


	6. Chapter 6, New Threats

**Drew's POV**

Jack and I just stood there, stunned. It was a good 30 seconds before one of us said something.

"What the fuck was that!? We need to go help them, Jack! He said it was to the south, right?" I asked in a panic.

Jack nodded. "Come on! Let's go." That's exactly what we did. We unfortunately didn't have time to let Kenzi or the cubs know where we were going, but there was no time! Our military needed us! The closer we got, we started to see deceased and mangled corpses of our soldiers. Some were cut in half and were in pools of their own blood. They were scattered everywhere! I felt like I was gonna vomit!

"Jesus Christ…" I said, horrified at the sight.

Jack looked away, before his eyes opened. The look in his eyes was one of absolute rage and anger. I couldn't say I blamed him. If anything, I was just as pissed as he was!

"W- We gotta keep moving.." I told Jack.

He nodded, and we began to move forward. Pretty soon, there was sounds of ongoing battle just up ahead! You could hear the sounds of death clear as day.

"Come on!" I told Jack. We both rushed towards the scene of battle, prepared to help extinguish this threat! When we got into view of the sight, I couldn't believe my eyes! It was a singular man, white as a ghost! The man was bald and had a goatee. He had two flaming blades and was killing multiple soldiers in a matter of mere seconds! It was unbelievable! Our soldiers had guns, but he appeared to be deflecting every shot with some golden thing on his shoulder! I couldn't believe this.. Even still, our soldiers needed us, and this bastard was going down!

"Let's get this fucker!" I screamed to Jack. Jack nodded, and rushed down, rifle in hand. We joined our military and blasted away at the pale white man, but nothing was working! He was deflecting everything! How could we kill something that can't be shot!?

"What do we do!?" I asked Jack, taking cover to avoid being decapitated by the man's flaming blades.

Jack didn't respond, then he stopped. He grabbed his rifle, held it like a club, and rushed forward.

"Jack, DON'T!" I tried to stop him, but it was too late. He was already determined to end this guy. A lot of the firing had ceased because the soldiers realized the same thing I did. The man looked behind him to see Jack with bayonet in hand, ready to kill.

He effortlessly swayed out if the way, punching Jack to the ground, him dropping his rifle.

"FUCK!" I yelled, rushing to stop anything worse from happening. The man held his blades up, as if going for the finishing blow. "STOP!" I commanded the man. He stopped just before he could do anything. The ghost-like man turned to face me, and walked slowly towards me. I was chilled to the core! His face held that of anger, of no remorse, of regret.. I backed up slowly, afraid of what he might do. Surprisingly, the man then spoke,

"Who is the commander of your army!?" The man demanded.

"I am!" Jack cried, standing up. He had a long scar running down his right eye. He stood there, defiantly, without fear or caution. The man turned his attention away from me, and now solely on Jack. He walked up to him, looking down on him. This dude was terrifying! He was a good 6 foot 6 inches tall and 300 pounds of solid muscle! The man stared Jack down in silence. After about a minute of silence, the man spoke.

"Where am I? How did I get here!? What kind of sorcery is this!? Are you with the Sisters of Fate!? With the gods of Olympus!?" The man angrily demanded.

Jack shook his head. "No. We are a neutral, sovereign nation that has nothing to do with this. We are stuck here same as you." Jack replied curtly. The man nodded his head slightly.

"Hmph.." he said. Then what he did next shocked me! He put his blades away! "If what you say is true, then do you have any sort of explanation as to how this has happened?"

"People and creatures wind up here without any kind of explanation and are left to their own devices to survive. We have only been here a short while. We still don't understand this world, we only survive it." The man nodded.

"You have a fine military.." the man said. "Certainly different from what I've seen before." The man then chuckled inwardly. "But they are certainly not of the caliber of Sparta!"

Jack didn't respond. "Who are you?" He asked calmly. The man looked at Jack, then looked away.

"Kratos." He responded. "The Ghost Of Sparta. The God Of War.." He then turned to face Jack again. "And exactly who are you?"

"Jack Anderson, I am the Emperor of this city." The man known as Kratos cocked a brow.

"An Emperor? You are of more worth than I had once thought, Jack Anderson.." Kratos abruptly said.

Jack didn't respond.

"Anyways," Kratos started, noticing Jack wasn't gonna respond. "I can see that your military is of no threat to me.. I'll be on my way and find my own way back to the shores of Greece! I'm far from finished with Zeus.."

Jack nodded in tacit acceptance. After all, what choice did he have? There was nothing he could do if Kratos wanted to continue the fight. Kratos said not one other word and simply walked off into the distance. Where he was going to go, I had no idea.. I walked up to Jack, breathing heavily.

"Are you okay?" I asked, noticing his minor injuries.

Jack nodded.

"Let's...let's say there was an accident involving a stampede. The citizens don't need to know about this." I sighed, but knew that he was right. What else could we do?

"I agree.. What-" I looked around at all the corpses, the sight still making me sick. "What of the dead? Who will pick up all those bodies? We've lost I'd say a good 400 men!"

Jack nodded. "We bury them. Give them a proper funeral. They deserve that much."

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 **Jack's POV**

"I swear, this place, its inhabitants, or both, will be the death of me." I groaned as we walked back home.

Honestly, after that whole ordeal, I just wanted to go home and sleep. I was tired, and in pain. Jesus Christ was I in pain! Drew sighed and replied,

"I know.. There's always at least one problem every day. And I gotta say, this one's been the worst by far!"

I nodded. "I just hope we don't get something like this for a good month or two."

I stopped, before chuckling. "Every time! Every _damn_ time we want to relax, something happens. What? Does this world have a bad sense of humor or something?!" Drew looked just as pissed as I currently was.

"Tell me about it!" He said with frustration. "I never would've guessed this many problems would happen in such a short time! Especially of this magnitude! We're just lucky he wasn't so keen on fighting us.. He's after some 'Zeus' guy or whatever.."

I laughed. "I'd hate to be him, considering the hell he put us and our men through." He laughed back.

"I would too. Who knows, we may never see him ever again. Let's hope so anyway.." Drew said.

"Still want to watch that movie?" I asked. I swear, I was going to watch it if it _killed_ me!

"I thought you'd _never_ ask!" Drew said with a laugh.

"Mind if we join you? After that hell, I think we _all_ need some kind of downtime."

I turned to see the Admirals, all similarly beaten up. Carandial seemed to have had it the worst, with substantial scarring on his face.

I looked to Drew. I personally didn't have a problem with it. Drew shrugged.

"I don't care. The more the merrier." Drew then smirked. "Come on! Get your asses over to the house. It's supposed to be a good movie!"

We all shared a laugh, and headed over.

Kenzi, the teens and the cubs were hanging out in the front yard.

They looked up, and stopped, each of them obviously surprised by our disheveled appearance. Kenzi and the rest ran over to us.

"Oh my God! What happened!?" Kenzi asked with worry, seeing all of our battered faces and bodies…

"Don't ask." I deadpanned.

"We heard. We saw. We lost." Carandial added, rubbing his skull, still in obvious discomfort. Drew sighed.

"Angry Spartan.. I'll leave it at that.." Kenzi cocked a brow.

"Spartan? As in just one? What was all the trouble?" She asked in confusion.

"There were...complications." Caesarius sighed.

"We'd rather not talk about it. Honestly, we just want to watch that _fricking_ movie!" I finished. Kenzi nodded, deciding to not question the matter any further.

"I'm glad you're home, Daddy.." Adia said happily, nuzzling Drew. Drew smiled and hugged her in response.

"Believe me, Adia.." Drew said with a smile. "So am I.."

We all joined around the TV, and for the first time in a while, we were able to enjoy ourselves.

The next morning, I awoke with a MASSIVE headache. When I looked around, I couldn't help but chuckle. _Everyone_ looked absolutely hilarious.

Kovu was lying backwards on the couch, his head hanging off the couch. Caesarius was leaning back in a recliner. Carandial was rubbing his head, seemingly in the same process of waking up. Decimius was leaning against the wall, Palenix was sipping some coffee on the other side of the room, and Siriulilus just waking up.

Ethan and Emily had fallen asleep by eachother, and were leaning against eachother. Luis was getting some coffee from the cabinet, and CG was...leaning against my shoulder, utterly knocked out.

Drew woke up with a similar headache, only to widen his eyes in surprise at what he heard. He looked to one side and saw Adia snoring directly into his ear, and Kenzi on the other. Drew closed his eyes again and sighed in annoyance.

"I need a fucking Xanax.." Drew said.

I nodded in agreement. "This never happened. If word of this got out..."

"It _won't_." Carandial growled, getting a pack of ice from the freezer. "Because I will _personally_ missile dropkick anyone who reveals this into the next millennium."

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I continued sketching the animals. Drew, Kenzi, the teens, cubs and I had gone out on a short safari. Things were going fairly slowly, so we decided to just pass the time by going out and just watching the wildlife.

"Wow...I never would have thought this desert could support so much life." Emily commented. "There are more species here then I read lived in the Serengeti."

"Welll," Drew began. "this isn't exactly the planet Earth we once knew of.. I'm still getting used to there being Prehistoric animals here myself." He ended with a chuckle.

I nodded. "We all are."

Before I could continue, the herd of _Camarasaurus_ , a longnecked dinosaur at least eighty five feet in length, suddenly began to emit panicked calls.

Their alarm calls were followed by them beginning to group up, trying to close the ranks of their herd, while the young and weak stayed in the center.

Then, we saw it. Coming up over the hill, an absolutely _massive_ dinosaur began to stalk forward. It resembled a _Carcharodontosaurus_ very closely, but it was _three times_ bigger! It had seven foot long arms and a twelve foot long skull full of teeth as long as my arm!

The massive theropod let out a thunderous roar, and rushed forward.

The herd didn't disperse, but instead kept close together, swinging their tails rapidly. The predator couldn't find an opening. It began pacing along the flanks of the herd, roaring its challenge.

Then, it turned towards us.

Then, with an earsplitting roar, it lunged forward, each step covering a good twenty feet.

I slammed on the gas, and we began to jet away, but the predator still chased us. In fact, he was slowly gaining on us!

"He's getting too fucking close!" Drew screamed. "Try and trick the bastard! Make a U-turn, do zig-zags, doesn't fucking matter! Hurry!"

I gunned it, and twisted the wheel rapidly. The car nearly flipped over from the stress. We just missed the titan's jaws as it snapped shut.

I gunned it again, and we were driving rapidly away. The monster had little time to turn and continue the chase, and instead turned its attention back to the herd. Within thirty seconds, we had driven over a hill, and began heading back to Colossus.

"What _was_ that?!" Luis asked in shock.

I sighed. "I don't know. We didn't exactly have time to ask for its name." Drew stifled a laugh, and was elbowed by Kenzi.

"It looked a lot like a _Carcharodontosaurus_ , but much bigger." Kovu commented.

" _Carcharodontosaurus_.." Adia said aloud. "If I remember right, that was the one similar, but bigger than a T-Rex, right Daddy?" Drew chuckled and scratched his head.

"You may wanna ask your Uncle.. He's the 'dino-whisperer'." Drew said with a smirk.

I rolled my eyes. "Yes. But they weren't nearly _that_ big."

I stopped. " _Giganotosaurus_. I think that was what that was. An oversized _Giganotosaurus_. Relative of _Carcharodontosaurus_ actually. I just don't understand how it got so massive."

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I sighed. Why the hell did we _always_ wind up with this kind of luck?! Even _when_ we tried to relax, we all awoke with serious headaches and what resembled a hangover.

After the _Giganotosaurus_ incident, we were all trying to figure out what exactly to do about this monstrous creature.

"Any ideas?" I asked Drew. "That thing is a huge threat that can't really be ignored." Drew sighed and really hesitated on what he was gonna say, but he said it anyway.

"As much as I don't like the idea," Drew began. "we may have to ally with the angry spartan. Or Kratos.."

I groaned. I really didn't hope it came to them.

"I know.." Drew said. "But think about it: if he could hold off our entire military, who have fucking _guns_ with relative ease, just _think_ of what he could do to that _Giganotosaurus_!"

Caesarius nodded. "One powerful threat can often be negated with another."

The three of us were walking down the street, trying to figure out what to do.

"Sirs!"

We turned to see a lower ranking officer approach.

"Some scavengers want to join the Empire. They requested to see you."

I blinked.

I nodded, and motioned for Caesarius to follow me.

When we got there, I was surprised to see Joel, Owen, Hera, and to my surprise, a large _Raptor_.

I stopped.

"You guys have a reason for loitering here?" I asked.

Joel blinked in surprise at my harsh tone. "We were hoping we could join you. As you can tell, resources and food are rare at the moment, thanks to the drought-"

"We'll definitely pull our own weight!" Joel interrupted. "We'll do our best to help out with this whole..."

I smirked. "Empire? Glorious and magnificent capital? Place of refuge for twenty thousand people?"

"Can we hurry this along?" Hera growled.

Caesarius rolled his eyes. "My my, such ferocity from such weak, _starving_ people. I am impressed, most speak with more respect when in the Emperor."

"Yeah, we _are_ starving! So let us in!" Joel replied sarcastically.

Caesarius' smirk widened. "You are in no position to make demands."

I nodded.

Hera sighed, and began to leave.

"I thought you were starving? Surely you can understand our reluctance after how you treated us when we first met? You weren't exactly welcoming either." I pointed out.

"That's because you showed up in a fucking _jeep_ when everyone else here has to struggle for the barest necessities. We want to work out our differences _because_ we don't want to be threatened." Joel interjected.

I looked at him seriously. "We had no intention of harming anybody. We actually hoped to help you guys since we thought you were in the same situation as us."

"How did you make all this?" Joel asked flatly.

I stopped. "That very same remote. We used it to build all this. We need to survive as much as food and water."

I looked down. "I don't know if you noticed, but we've been dealing with a _ton_ of threats lately. We're not quite sure who we can trust."

"Why should I trust you? Give me a reason why. Any reason. It doesn't matter."

Hera chimed in. "Because we aren't a threat?"

"There is no possible way we can threaten you with that remote. If it can replenish anything, you have _nothing_ to fear from _anyone_ here."

I stopped to consider her explanation. It did make sense.

And they had offered to help us in any way they could. Still…

I sighed. _No use distrusting people for no good reason._

I looked up at them.

"Very well. For now, I will reserve judgement. Help us and you will be rewarded and protected. But if you cross us..."

"Won't happen." Joel declared. "I _promise_."

Caesarius stopped.

"Well then, welcome to the Empire." He said. He focused on Joel. "We'll see who you really are."

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"Jack!" Drew called out, him and Kenzi walking over to us. He looked at the newcomers with narrowed eyes, not fully trusting them and not knowing who they are. "Who are they?"

"Some old friends." I replied.

"Remember when we found them on a safari a few weeks ago?" Drew sighed and closed his eyes in annoyance.

"Yeah." He answered. "I remember.."

Owen sighed. "Look, I apologize for my associate's hostility. We're not normally that..distrusting of people." Drew looked at Owen and said,

"Look, I can see that you're the most sensible of the entire group, so I'll just say this: trust can always be built.." Drew cast his gaze over to Hera and Joel. "But when you act like a _cocksucker_ like these two, then trust is a little hard to build.. The whole empire is basically one big team. And what's a team if there are a couple players who don't function with the rest?.."

Joel gawked at him, before scowling, and then turned to leave. Hera turned to follow.

"Oh come on!" Owen cried in frustration. "Can't we just move past that stupid incident?"

He looked to both his comrades and us. "I've dealt with enough bullshit about people hating each other for little to no reason. Guys, we don't have to react with such hostility to each other every time we meet! What is the big fucking deal with all this?"

I blinked. "Alright... _why_ did you _automatically assume_ that we were a threat simply because we had something you didn't?"

"Put yourself in our position." Hera said firmly, but fairly. "Think about how we've lived here for years, without seeing a _single_ piece of advanced technology. We scrounged for food with the bare minimum. We created our settlement by using that river. And then we see these new guys, driving up to us with a _car_ of all things. We don't know _how_ or even _where_ they got it. What their intentions are, and what the hell they want with us. We hadn't seen another human in _years_! Then to see you drive up to us with something that we could never hope to have out here, that we could never match, let alone counter. How would you react in that situation? When every day for three years is spent wondering whether its your last, where your next meal is going to come from, and what creature is going to try and hunt you, you tend to get a little defensive." Drew was stunned by her words. He looked down at the ground in silence, deep in thought. He looked back up at her and replied,

"That's fair.." He looked at Jack, then back to Owen and his group. "I say they deserve a chance.. Reserve judgement, sure. But I suppose a shot to prove themselves wouldn't be that bad. If your story is true, then you have more than earned your chance at at least that.. I'm sorry I acted the way I did. It was a little uncalled for. But it's just who I am."

Joel sighed in relief. He then smiled, and nodded in acknowledgement and agreement. Hera sighed, and nodded half-heartedly.

I chuckled. "Now that that's out of the way, would you guys like some actual food?"

Joel grinned. "Yes. Please."

Hera sighed, and said under her breath, "Yes."

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The whole group sat at a long, rectangular dinner table. We were all enjoying some really nice food. Everyone got their own favorite dish, and considering how well the replicator made the food, _everyone_ was happy.

"Thanks." Joel said sincerely. "This is really good."

I nodded. "One of the miracles of the Replicator."

"So Hera," Kenzi began, trying to start a conversation. "you say that your group has been here for years? People have really been appearing here for that long?"

Hera sat, deep in thought. She began to smile a little. "It's been happening since long before _I_ arrived here. People and animals from different times and places all seem to arrive here with no explanation, or way to get home. However, in all the years of living here, we've _never_ seen anything like the replicator."

"Wow.." Drew said in awe. "We're really the first humans you've run into in years, though? You haven't run into, say, another military? An angry spartan?" Drew noticed Hera giving him a glance and he paused.

"Heh, I should probably stop talking.."

Hera shrugged. "Don't worry about it. It's fine."

"But no, we haven't encountered anything like that." She added.

"Fascinating." Decimius commented. "It seems we might be entering a new phase in this world's cycle. I would recommend we all stay on our guard."

Hera and Joel looked at him, puzzled. "What do you mean?" Joel asked.

"It's quite simple really. This world seems to follow repeating patterns. Relatively rare new animal arrivals, frequent single or small amount of sentient arrivals, and the occasional entire civilization arriving."

Joel blinked. "Occasional? That happens on _occasion_? That happens at _all_?!"

"It would seem so." Decimius replied.

Hera blinked. "How do you know all this?"

"I've been studying this world. Several fossils we have found do not match completely with existing organisms. There are ruins here and there, indicating past civilizations, and judging from the frequent arrivals of new survivors, it seems that all this happens in a cycle. A few years of nothing changing, and then it starts to change again. It's almost as if..."

He stopped.

"As if?..." Drew questioned, wanting him to finish his thought.

"As if it's being _controlled_ by someone or _something_ beyond this world. It doesn't make sense how this could all appear naturally."

"You mean like God is playing with us or something?" Drew sarcastically asked.

"No, I think He's trying to control us. As if its part of a grand plan." Joel suggested.

"But why? What would anything have to gain from all this?" C.G asked.

"Knowledge. Power. World Domination. Or maybe it's just bored?" I deadpanned. Drew shrugged.

"Who knows.. But one thing's for certain, it's happening whether we like it or not. Should we find out if it's God or something sciency or a fucking flying spaghetti monster, then it should be reported so everyone knows. The sooner we find the truth, the better the understanding we have and what to do."

I nodded.

"Whatever's going on, we need to be ready."

"I assure you, we will be." Carandial declared.

 **Dinolion92: So that was the new chapter. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Yes, the action is only going to pick up from here. Another writer is going to join us soon(he helped write the last story, and his character was an important part of it.)**

 **LionKingIsAwesome: What's up, guys! :) Hope y'all are liking the action packed chapters and the storyline! Now we have Kratos in the mix, a new group has joined the Empire, and now a new discovery has been made that a possible outside force is behind all of these people appearing here! Will Kratos return? What will everyone do about this new giant predator now appearing? Who else will appear? Guess y'all will have to keep on reading and find out! XD God bless, everyone! Have a good one! :)**


	7. Chapter 7, New Hope and Painful Memories

**Jack's POV**

Drew and I were kind of nervous at the moment. The implications of the previous night's conversation were unsettling to say the least.

"I still can't get over the idea that this might all be on purpose." I sighed.

"I know.." Drew said. "It's amazing what people will do to each other. Well, _if_ it's people causing this at least.. It could be something else entirely. I don't know.."

I nodded and was about to reply, before we got a transmission from Admiral Palenix.

"I bet you can guess why I'm calling." He deadpanned on the communicator.

I grinned. "Survivors?"

"Yes."

"Care to join us this time?" Drew asked.

"On my way."

A few minutes passed before the Libertus admiral arrived. "Scanners picked them up not too far away. A large group too. Maybe fifteen to twenty thousand."

My eyes widened. "Holy shit..."

We began to head over. It wasn't hard to track them down. They were maybe two miles away, not much of a trip by car.

As I disembarked from the car, I noticed, with some amusement, that most had the clothing of people from the nineteen sixties.

I was about to greet them, when, to my surprise, a group of people I recognized(from history books and documentaries, not from personally knowing them) began to walk forward.

Generals Curtis LeMay and Maxwell Taylor, Admiral George Anderson, Secretaries Robert F. Kennedy, Dean Rusk, Adlai Stevenson, John C. McCone, McGeorge Bundy, Robert McNamara, Kenneth O'Donnell, Ted Sorensen, and...President John F. Kennedy.

"We're looking for whoever's in charge." JFK said cordially.

I blinked.

"Um, that would be me, Mr. President." Drew looked on with widened eyes and shock.

"President Kennedy!? I thought you were assassinated.."

There was a sudden, but noticeable period of silence. Everyone looked at us with horror.

"What..." He began, paling at the thought.

"Shit. I forgot time doesn't really matter in this world.." Drew remembered, facepalming.

"We're from the 2000s. Long story." I said quickly.

Kennedy narrowed his eyes, but nodded. "We have more pressing concerns at the moment."

"Like how we got here." Robert F. Kennedy added.

"Oh shit, here we go.." Drew muttered to himself.

I nodded, and proceeded to give a short version.

By the end of it, everyone looked at me with even more shock.

"H-how?!" JFK asked.

"We don't know. We have a few theories, but none have been confirmed." I replied.

I nodded to Drew. "Want to handle the diplomacy this time?" With a nod in return, Drew turned to JFK and said,

"I recommend you and your group come back with us, Mr. President. It's dangerous out here.. The shit we've encountered is unreal! We've run into predators wanting to eat you, opposing militaries ready to kill you at a moments notice, and a spartan who claims to be the 'God of War' or something like that.. Killed 400 of our men single handedly. No guns.."

The leaders looked to each other, utterly thunderstruck.

"Mr. President?" General LeMay began. "Are you sure we can trust them? This might be a trap."

"I assure you it's not." I interjected.

"Why should we trust you?" LeMay asked. "As far as we know, you could be Soviet spies sent here to destabilize us." Drew gasped in false shock and said to Jack in his best Russian accent sarcastically,

"Oh no, Vladimir! The Capitalist Americans are onto us! Alert the Motherland!"

I gasped in response. "By Stalin's beard!"

Snickers began to come from several of the people, though none of the generals or intelligence operatives seemed particularly amused.

"You would do well to trust us." Palenix commented, stepping forward, earning a surprised gasp from the humans who had never seen an alien before.

"We mean no harm. Your petty paranoia will get you nowhere here."

LeMay was about reply, before Kennedy cut him off.

"We'll join you."

"But...Mr. President-"

"Enough!" Kennedy said firmly. "We are in no position to antagonize anyone. We need their help."

"Mr. President?" Drew asked, getting JFK's attention. "I have an important question I've been wondering for a long time.."

Kennedy nodded for him to continue. Drew's expression then turned to that of a giddy school boy.

"Are there really aliens in Area 51!?"

Kennedy smirked in response. "Indeed there are. Only the remains of that single crash though. Where do you think we got a lot of our technology?"

"Knew it.." Drew said with a smirk.

"Mr. President!" Several officials cried, some in higher pitches then normal.

"It's not like that matters now." Kennedy chuckled.

He turned. "And what are your names? If I may ask?"

"Drew King." Drew responded, shaking the President's hand.

"Jack Anderson. _Emperor_ Jack Anderson." I added.

Kennedy nodded. "Well then, it's getting too hot out here. Maybe you could show us to your capital? No one here needs heat stroke."

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Kennedy, Palenix, Drew and I were meeting with the other leaders.

"Alright. Everyone, this is President Kennedy." I introduced to the Imperials.

"I feel he is the perfect candidate to be Head of the Civilian government." I added.

"I agree." Drew said with a smile. "He's one of the greatest US Presidents of all time. He'll be perfect for the position!"

The Admirals looked to each other, before Carandial spoke up. "Well then, _President_ Kennedy. Welcome to the Empire. We can trust you to form a viable government?"

Kennedy seemed surprised but nodded. "I need a list of capable individuals. I don't want it to just be dominated by my own people if there are many groups here."

I nodded. "I'll provide that list immediately."

Caesarius spoke up. "Do you need a chief diplomat? I know of one who might kill two birds with one stone. He'd placate the Republic's citizens and he has actual experience,"

"Oh shit.. You mean Apollo, right?" Drew asked.

Caesarius nodded. "As much as I dislike the idea of a former member of the Republic holding such a position of power, I feel he is more than qualified. The Republic's citizens are getting restless. They're starting to want representation here."

"Who are we, the British?" Drew sarcastically asked, referencing the Revolutionary War.

Kennedy and I chuckled. "Unfortunately, I must agree. We need to give them a place in the government if we're going to keep them peaceful. Have their hero be given a position of power, and we remove a major reason for their restlessness as well as give them a little more rights. It's been long enough since the war anyway. I would rather have peace." Drew nodded and said,

"Fair point.. Let's give it to him. Let him prove his worth."

Kennedy, not getting all the references, simply shrugged. "I'll meet with him."

I nodded. "I'll send for him."

Within a few moments, the Libertus Senator arrived.

He looked a little suspicious, but said nothing.

"You must be Apollo?" Kennedy asked.

Apollo nodded. "Yes. I hear you're one of the new arrivals?"

Kennedy nodded. "Admiral Caesarius recommended you for the position of Chief Diplomat. I have been given the responsibility of forming a civilian government, and we all feel you would be the best choice."

Apollo blinked in surprise. "Really?" He asked, looking to Drew and I, then to Caesarius.

"As much as it pains me to say it, you were an effective president during the Great Cyrannus War, and you remain an effective leader." Caesarius declared. Drew looked at Apollo and said,

"Just don't get pushed around too much. The Republic's last President did wonders in that area during the war.."

Apollo sighed. "Whatever you say."

Then he grinned. "You know, if I'm chief diplomat, that would mean you'd have to give me more respect, _Lieutenant._ "

"Oh balls.." Drew sighed in realization. "Now I _really_ need a fucking Xanax!.."

Apollo's grin widened.

"I'll take the job."

Kennedy nodded. "Welcome to the team."

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Kennedy, as the first President of the Empire, formed a cabinet very quickly. In addition to Apollo as Chief Diplomat, it included Caesarius, who was promoted again to Chief of Defense(Carandial was given the rank of Admiral of the Navy.)

Kennedy's other advisors were all incorporated into the Empire.. It gave us a good bedrock to build upon.

Meanwhile, Kovu and Adia were going to give the cubs a tour of the capital. It was their first time being out of the small area their pride occupied.

 **Adia's POV**

"Make sure you listen to Kovu and Adia while you're out there. You hear that, Simba?" Mufasa asked.

Simba nodded quickly. "Yeah dad! I will!"

"That goes for you too, Nala!" Nala's mother known as Sarafina called out.

"Yes, Mom!" Nala called back. The exact same treatment was given to Tama, Kula, Chumvi, and Tojo. Nia, Tama's mother was the sarcastic one out of the bunch. She'd always make a witty joke when she had the chance. Mchumba, Kula's mother almost always had to eat something. She probably ate more than King Mufasa himself! The feasting after the hunts was her favorite part of the day. Asha, Tojo's mother particularly enjoyed nature and the Circle of Life in general. She would go outside and observe the nature in any spare time she had. Finally was Nzuri, Chumvi's mother. She was more reserved compared to the rest of the lionesses, probably because she was newer, but she had a big heart and was loyal to the end. The cubs shared similar, if not the same traits to their mothers! Some more than others..

"Have fun, Chumvi!" Nzuri called out to her cub.

"I will, Mom! See ya!" Chumvi replied, running back to catch up with the group.

Kovu walked up to Mufasa and Sarabi. "We'll keep an eye on them! Don't worry."

Mufasa smiled and nodded. With that, we started to walk off towards our capital: Colossus.

"This is so awesome!" Simba cried.

"Remember the rules now!" I sternly reminded. "Stick together so you don't get lost, no messing with anybody, be polite!"

"Yeah." Kovu added. "I don't want to have to explain to dad if we get complaints."

"If you say so.." Tama said, mischievously plotting something in her head. She always was a troublemaker when she could be.

Nearby, Admiral Palenix was getting some food from a hotdog stand. It was kind of funny, but the admirals were starting to be a little more like their human friends.

"Hi Admiral Palenix!" Adia said in greeting.

The admiral turned, before smiling. "Greetings. Welcome to Colossus, young ones." The cubs' attention then turned to what looked like hundreds of men marching nearby. It looked to be training drills.

"Woahh!" Kula said. "Who are they?"

"The Imperial Navy. They protect us all from any threat out there. If you think those are cool, watch this. Star Destroyer _Executor_ , head over to Colossus. Assume a defensive position."

Within seconds, an enormous, triangular shadow loomed over the capital. The massive hull of the Star Destroyer came into view, its appearance earning cheers from Imperial patriots and muted awe from the new citizens.

"Woah..." Simba breathed.

"We have over twenty four of those ships." Palenix said proudly.

"Wow.. That's awesome!" Chumvi yelled with enthusiasm. The cubs could only stand in awe and observe.

Palenix nodded. "Quite."

"One day when I'm big and strong like Kovu and Adia's Dads, I wanna join the Imperial Navy too!" Chumvi said. I widened my eyes in disagreement. I had seen my Dad almost die from battle being apart of the Imperial Navy. I didn't want the same, or even worse to happen to any of the cubs.

Palenix blinked. "I wouldn't rush into it if I were you. It's not all glory and cool weapons and ships." Chumvi cocked a brow.

"Oh.. Then what is it?" he asked.

Palenix blinked. "I'll let your parents tell you when you're older."

"But why can't we just be told now?" Simba asked. Before the admiral could reply, I sternly said,

"Simba, please listen to the Admiral! The Navy is no laughing matter and it isn't all jokes and games! My Daddy was almost killed in the fight against the Republic a long while ago! It's _very_ dangerous, Simba!" I then turned my gaze to Chumvi. "And that goes for you too, Chumvi!"

Simba sighed, but didn't protest.

"Perhaps I should be on my way." Palenix said quickly. He nodded to me and Kovu, before heading off.

Then he stopped.

It almost looked like he could hear something in the distance. Then his eyes widened.

"Get down!" He yelled.

A sudden explosion shook the city. The scream of unknown aircraft filled the air.

Then, over the city, an even larger Star Destroyer arrived. This one was a _mile_ long, but resembled the standard Imperial ships very closely.

It immediately opened fire on the _Executor_ , which returned fire.

However, it quickly became clear that the _Executor_ was outmatched by the sheer size and firepower of this new ship.

Palenix then looked on in horror as the _Executor_ was hit by a full spread of lasers, and exploded into a ball of fire.

Then, a large shield appeared around the capital, preventing the ship's shattered remnants from crashing into the city below.

"Admiral!"

Palenix looked to his wrist.

"Report!"

"We've activated the defensive shield. However, we can expect enemy ground troops to land any moment! The Emperor and his team are with the rest of the fleet on an exercise! Orders?"

"Frak!" He growled, an expletive Kovu had learned was essentially a Cyrannian translation of...that word. The cubs looked at the scene in absolute fear.

"I'm scared, Adia!.." Kula said. I shifted my gaze back and forth throughout all that was happening. This scared her for her Dad's safety even more. She was almost certain that he too would be involved with whatever this was.

"What are we gonna do?" I asked the Admiral.

Kovu looked to Admiral Palenix. "Come. The command center is the safest place."

He motioned for them to follow him.

Meanwhile, Imperial troops were rushing to the south, where enemy ground troops were landing.

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When they got there, they noticed several former officers of the Republic waiting.

Palenix narrowed his eyes. "What do you think you're doing here?"

One of the officers, a young male Libertus, stepped in forward. "We were going to assist in the defense of this capital. You forget that our people are here too!"

Palenix sighed. "War makes allies of former enemies. Very well. Roslia, assume command of western flank, Cretacea, the center, and Shavalera, the east. Kuestantine, Kaedar, coordinate the other areas to make sure no flanking attacks occur."

They looked to each other, before they headed off to assume their duties.

Palenix then rushed to a nearby table, displaying the situation in a hologram.

"Are we holding them off?" Kovu asked, uncharacteristically serious.

Palenix nodded. "For now."

The command center shook again, and in the distance, the sound of rifle and tank fire let them know that the battle had begun.

Then, a hologram suddenly appeared from the table. A man in his mid forties, with a military uniform of olive gray regarded them with arrogance.

"Your efforts are useless." He said with scorn. "Surrender now or be destroyed!"

Palenix glared back defiantly. "What is the meaning of this attack?! We have committed no acts of aggression against you!"

"Yeah! Go away, ugly!" Tojo yelled to the guy, with innocent anger.

The officer blinked, before scowling. "Shut it you insolent brat!" I was starting to reach my boiling point.

"We'll show you 'insolent brat'!" I yelled in anger. I turned to the Admiral and whisper-yelled, "Where are the rest of the Navy? It's getting dangerous.."

Palenix cut off the transmission, and entered in some data. "They're not far away. We just have to hold out until the fleet arrives."

"What's going on?" Joel said as he, Hera, and Owen entered the command center.

"Long story." Kovu replied.

"Admiral!"

A local officer had called on the communicator. "The enemy army is advancing in the east! Three heavy walkers or whatever and a good three thousand troops! Orders?"

The room shook again. On the map, the cub saw massive columns of enemy troops advancing towards the shielded walls.

"What the hell is going on?" Joel demanded

"We're _under attack_!" Palenix yelled in frustration. The cubs were absolutely frightened to say the least. Chumvi looked at Palenix and asked,

"Will we be okay? I wanna go home.."

Palenix blinked, before looking away, closing his eyes. "I know."

"What can we do to help?" Joel said trying to hide his panic.

"I need you to get to the front. We need to know the situation on the frontlines from more the just these maps. Take these." He handed them communicators. "Report on the enemy offensive when you get there. We need to know what areas need reinforcement or medics."

Joel stood silent for a second trying to compose himself. "Sure. Hera, lets go." Joel ran off with the communicator and headed for the front.

Hera rolled her eyes and snarled as she went running after Joel.

The ground shook again as the din of battle got ever closer. Their front line was holding, but the enemy was pushing forward.

Then, Palenix froze. "It's the fleet..." He whispered, as if he couldn't believe it himself.

"It's the fleet!" He cried.

"Yay!" The cubs cried simultaneously. Adia sighed in relief and muttered,

"Thank God.."

On the holographic display, the fleet closed in, 23 1,600 foot Star Destroyers and dozens of other ships all began opening fire on the smaller invading force.

The sound of air battle filled their ears, as strikecraft from both sides clashed for control of the air.

Then, everything went silent…

A sudden snap hiss, and a red light filled the room.

Everyone turned to see a black armored figure approaching, with a beam of blood red plasma.

He stepped forward.

"And now we will humbly accept your surrender." He said in a commanding baritone voice.

Then, to everyone's horror, twelve new ships arrived. From the enemy.

It was a trap! They were luring the entire military here so they could defeat them in one fell swoop!

Joel's voice crackled over the communicator "What the hell is happening up there!

Palenix stepped in front of the cubs.

"They're just children! Do not harm them."

The figure stood there for a few seconds.

"Get the fuck away from them!"

The figure turned to see Jack, Dad, and an entire army rush into view.

Overhead, the sounds of explosions followed. The top of the command center blew open, rubble falling to the floor. Overhead, they could see, despite being outgunned, the fleet was pushing forward. And they were winning! It seemed that despite the size disparity, they were evenly matched in terms of firepower, and the sheer numbers of the Navy was enough to drive back the invading enemies.

Then, Joel, Hera and another large army rushed in.

The figure was surrounded!

He looked around.

"It's over!" Jack said. "Surrender."

The figure regarded them with contempt.

"You underestimate the power of the dark side!"

He held his weapon at the ready, but then stopped.

"I sense each of you is strong in the force." He said suddenly, motioning to Joel, Dad, and Jack.

"Stronger than most Jedi were..." He mused.

"Perhaps...we can come to an agreement... For your sakes."

"What fucking agreement!?" Dad yelled to the figure. "And what're you talking about? We have you surrounded!"

The figure responded by lifting up his arm, and making a fist.

"I am giving you a choice..." He said, tightening his grip. Dad began to feel his throat close up, and he began to gasp for air.

"The fuc-?" He was cut off, as his throat was now completely shut, and he couldn't breathe.

"It's either an alliance..." The figure declared. "Or you all die with your entire faction. I have a fleet loyal to me, who will turn the tide, in either side's favor."

He tightened his grip. Then he released it. "I am offering you a choice between victory or annihilation."

Dad gasped for air as he felt the pressure dissipate, and he could breathe again.

"What.. the fuck… was that!?.." Dad questioned, taking deep breaths. I rushed to his side to see if he was okay.

"The force." The figure replied.

"In the right hands, a powerful ally. I have no love for Palpatine, or his scum of commanders. But we need help if we are to overthrow him."

Vader turned. "Join me, and I can teach you the ways of the force, with our combined strength, we can bring order to both our worlds. And defeat our common enemy."

Jack stopped. "What is it you want from us?"

The figure turned to Jack.

"An alliance. Support from your industry in this war. Palpatine won't stop until your nation falls. We need each other." Dad cocked a brow and asked,

"Who is this 'Palpatine'?"

The figure looked to Dad. "A cruel, evil tyrant who ruined my life and the lives of millions. He played two sides against each other for three years to destabilize the galaxy enough so he could seize power. He enslaved me, caused the deaths of my family and all I ever knew."

He looked to me. "He will go to any lengths to keep his power. This nation here may be the only chance my home has at liberation." Completely off topic, Simba smiled a bit and responded,

"Y'know, you sound a lot like my Dad.."

The figure looked to the cub…

"Interesting..." He replied. "I apologize for my actions on arrival. I needed to make my arrival look convincing to Palpatine's lackey's.

Vader turned to the others.

"As I said before, we require each other's help. Whether you like it or not."

He turned. "Captain Piett? Admiral Thrawn" He asked to a hologram on his wrist. "You are to commence with the Maneuver. Engage Zaarin's fleet immediately."

"Yes Lord Vader." The aforementioned officers replied.

A dozen new Star Destroyers arrived in the battle. They were the enemy's class of ship, but began firing on their former allies.

"I believe this proves my case." Dad had his eyes widened in shock.

"Holy shit… You're not kidding."

The figure turned. "My name is Anakin Skywalker. Who are you if I may ask?" Dad turned to the one known as Anakin.

"It's Drew. Drew King.." He replied.

"I'm Jack." Jack replied.

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 **Jack's POV**

Anakin Skywalker walked alongside Caesarius, Kennedy, Drew and myself. He had requested a private meeting. Despite having secured a victory, Skywalker was not to keen on carrying the war into enemy territory just yet.

Indeed, none of us were. According to Skywalker, over three hundred Imperial Star Destroyers currently patrolled the Empire. While our combined battlefleet could challenge any single Imperial Battle Squadron (which was around thirty Star Destroyers usually assigned to a specific area of territory), it was too far outnumbered to make a difference at the moment.

"I have requested this meeting for a few reasons." Anakin began.

"Firstly, I am not a politician. I care not for squabbles or power plays. That is why I am willing to follow your orders for now. I will defer to your judgement on the day to day running of our empire. Though I would like a commanding position in the military of our new alliance."

Caesarius thought for a moment. "I will accept that idea. You are a capable fighter in any event."

"Also," he began, turning to Drew. "I believe that Drew's actions in the final stages of the Battle have decisively proven he is ready to be promoted to Captain a Star Destroyer." Drew gasped slightly in shock.

"Are you positive I'm even ready for such a position?.. I mean don't get me wrong, I appreciate it and all, but.. I don't feel ready.. What if I screw up?"

Caesarius shook his head. "You have more spirit and drive then most officer candidates I have known have ever shown. You led the men to victory, and they listened despite you being a lower ranking officer then several of the commanders there. You have proven yourself. I have confidence that you will be a great captain, and perhaps one day, Grand Admiral or even Admiral of the Navy." Drew could only smile.

"Thank you.. I won't let any of you down.."

Caesarius nodded. "Then you are hereby given the rank of Captain. We'll hold a promotion ceremony tomorrow. You'll also receive your crew and assigned Division."

I nodded as well. "Congratulations, _Captain_ Drew King."

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 **Drew's POV**

I couldn't believe any of this was happening! It seemed like not several months ago, I was just a common teenager with an unsure purpose in life.. But _now_ I know exactly what I wanna do! I wanna slowly rise the ranks of the Imperial Navy, earn my way to the top and protect the Empire with the best of my ability. It was certainly crazy how far I had already climbed..

I was to receive my ship, as well as be introduced to the group I would be commanding. I named my ship the ' _INS Cobain_ ', named after Kurt Cobain of Nirvana. Why name it after him? I'm a huge Nirvana fan and a guitar fanatic, what can I say?.. Anyways, I was now walking my way through the plaza and up to the _INS Cobain_ where I would be formally granted my ranking. I made it to the top where I saw Jack and Caesarius. I smiled slightly and excitedly said,

"Let's do this!"

Caesarius smiled, and stepped forward, before saluting me. "Welcome to the Fleet, Captain."

He handed me a badge with five silver stars.

"Bronze indicates officers, silver ship and division commanders, and gold Admirals." Caesarius declared.

He offered the badge to me. I took the badge with pride. I saluted him back as a show of respect.

"Thank you, Caesarius." I said.

Jack stepped forward, and handed me a gray uniform. "Your official uniform as an officer of the fleet. You are officially a Captain of the Imperial Navy!" I still could hardly believe this was happening! I knew that there was heavy responsibility for this role in our military, and I sure as hell ain't gonna let anyone down!

' _I promise to serve, protect, and defend the Empire, it's citizens, and our freedom..'_ I secretly promised to myself. And I _always_ keep my promises, no matter what I have to do to keep them.

Jack smiled, and saluted me. Cheers rang out from the men, while other Star Destroyers in the fleet all fired their guns in salute.

A shuttle descended from the _Cobain_. It landed in the plaza. A ramp then appeared. It was our route to the ship.

When I arrived on the bridge of the _Cobain_ , I saw all the terminals were ready for their crew, while a single chair waited in the center of the ship. I walked slowly over to the sizeable chair and sat down in it. This is when it fully hit me that this was 100% real! I would keep my promise, and no one would stop me from fulfilling it!

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 **Jack's POV**

Joel, Drew and I were taking a short stroll. I think a nice, relaxing walk would help. There was to much bullshit going on! I needed a break!

"I still can't believe all this has happened." I sighed.

Two wars in seventy days. Jesus Christ!

It was also getting colder. I remember what it said about a year being only around a hundred days here, and that meant winter was around the corner.

"Thanks guys for joining me on this walk." I said.

"Anytime.." Drew said. "I need a break from this shit anyways."

"Yeah, this place looks beautiful when you're not gonna be eaten alive." Joel agreed.

I was about to reply, before I heard something in the distance.

I stopped.

"What is it?" Joel asked. "What do you see?"

It sounded like…

I froze.

Someone screaming.

I rushed forward. If there was another survivor out there, we needed to get to them fast. Judging from their cries of terror, it seemed something had already found them.

"It never ends does it?" Drew sighed. "We should probably help whoever that is. They could be hurt."

I nodded, and continued to run.

I reached the crest of a hill, and my eyes widened.

A young girl, maybe 10 years old was running from...that same fucking cat that seemed so interested in making our lives a living hell! A _Deinofelis_ , again…

I rushed down, and aimed my rifle. Rule of thumb, never go outside the city walls without a rifle.

The _Deinofelis_ leaped forward, and pinned the girl to the ground. I fired three rounds at the cat. One hit the sand a little ways away, but the other two hit the cat in the ribs and neck.

I rushed forward and pushed the cat off of the girl. She was still.

I blinked, and felt for a pulse. I felt relief when there was one.

I gently picked her up, and began to power walk back to the capital.

When we got there, I brought her to the hospital.

We waited there for a few minutes, before the doctor came out with a concerned look on her face.

"Um...are her parents here too?" The doctor asked, somewhat nervously.

"No. We couldn't find evidence of anyone else." I replied.

The doctor sighed. "Can we speak in private? I don't know what to make of this..."

I blinked, before nodding. She motioned for us to follow her.

When we got to the hallway, she showed me some X-Rays.

"She displays signs of long term trauma consistent with physical abuse and neglect. Considering the fact that tests show she wasn't here for more then a few hours..."

My eyes widened. What…

I looked down.

"Jesus fucking Christ.." Drew said in shock. His expression then turned to that of anger. "The fuckers who did this better hope we don't find them! My self control can only go so far when it comes to people like this…"

I nodded.

"Hey Drew, calm down I doubt after what she's gone through she doesn't need any more stress." Joel said, though his expression was one of well hidden, but barely contained anger.

I sighed.

"I might make an exception with Imperial Justice if we find those bastards." I seethed.

"She's awake if you want to speak with her." The doctor said. "But please, she's really nervous right now."

I nodded.

She motioned for us to follow her. We walked in.

The girl was lying in a hospital bed. She tensed up slightly when we entered.

"Its okay." I said calmly. "We're here to help you."

The girl narrowed her eyes. "Let me guess. You're the police or something?"

I looked to Drew and Joel, before shaking my head. "Not exactly."

"I don't do police.." Drew said.

I nodded.

"The point is you're safe right now."

She blinked, before looking away.

"Where am I? Really? I know that that was a Sabertooth Tiger. I live in Colorado, as far from a desert as you can get. Can you actually tell me what the hell is going on?"

We were all surprised by the fact that she put all this together so fast. "We'll explain it in a bit. We were actually wondering if you could answer some questions?"

The girl looked at me, before nodding slowly. "Sure..."

"What's your name?" I asked.

"Kyle-" She began, before stopping, " _Kylie_. It's Kylie." She said firmly.

Her eyes widened, before she looked towards the door.

I turned. No one was there. Something told me that she was worried about something… Or _someone._ Drew knelt down at her bed and said,

"I can tell you're worried, but I promise you it's all gonna be okay. No one's gonna get you while we're here.. You'll be protected. We'll make sure of that.."

The girl relaxed a bit, before she looked down.

I noticed a single tear fall down her face.

"My name is Kylie Broflovski. I..." She wiped the tear away. "Please, if my parents find out-"

I froze. Her... _parents_?!

"My parents always wanted a boy a lot more than a girl. When I was born, they tried to pretend I was a boy, and kept trying to have a real one. Then they...found out they couldn't have anymore children. So they adopted my brother, Ike, and..."

She sniffled a little. "They forgot about me. Then they found out I had told a friend of mine the truth. They hurt me when they found out. I..."

She began to cry. "They never listen to me! They only care about my brother… I…"

She looked down, and continued to cry. Drew shook his head in sympathy for the poor girl.

"I'm so sorry.." He said. "You shouldn't have to go through that.."

She smiled a little at Drew.

"Please... If my parents find me...they'll..."

"They _won't_ be able to do anything." I declared.

"I'll see to that."

She looked at me, a little unsure. "But what about the police, or if a Judge forces me to go back to them..."

"We have a _lot_ of leeway here." I said, though that was putting it mildly.

I looked at her. "I _promise_ , they will _never_ hurt you again."

She smiled a little. "Thank you..."

I nodded.

"Emperor?"

I sighed, and responded on the communicator. "What is it Daeron?" I asked. Yes, I was on a first name basis with the Admirals now.

"Still on for that movie later tonight? Carandial got a ton of popcorn."

I blinked. "Kind of busy at the moment."

"Understood. Is everything alright?"

I stopped. "We'll get back to you."

I turned off the communicator.

"Emperor?! What's going on?!" Kylie asked, looking at me questioningly.

Then her eyes widened. "I'm not on Earth am I?"

I looked to Drew and Joel. I sighed, and nodded to Drew. He had gotten good at delivering the whole "speech" as we called it to new survivors. Drew shook his head.

"No, you're not on the Earth you once knew.. We're in a completely different land, probably in a completely different dimension! Even we have no idea how we got here.. People just seem to appear here at random often times."

I nodded. "We're part of an Empire here. We're all trying to survive out here. As far as we can tell, there's no way we can get back..."

Then, to my surprise, she smiled slightly. "So...I'm safe from them. Because A, I'm in another world, and B, because you're the Emperor of this Empire?"

I nodded.

She chuckled a little, brightening up a bit. "Thank you your majesty."

"Please, call me Jack." I said.

Her face then grew a little concerned again.

"But where will I stay? I mean, is there an orphanage or something here? Foster care?"

I stopped. I hadn't thought about that.

Honestly, I don't think Kylie should go into that whole system, if there was one in place that is. But…

I stopped.

I then looked down. "You're welcome to stay with us. We'll take care of you."

Joel looked at me in surprise. A single eyebrow was raised. He had a look of "really?" on his face.

I ignored him.

"If you're fine with that of course." I added.

She looked at me for a moment. "Would that make you my father?"

I blinked, before nodding. She smiled a little. She then looked down. "Can I call you daddy?"

I stopped. I had never thought of myself as a parenting type, but… Well, I guess if I could raise Kovu...

I smiled and nodded.

"Welcome to the family."

Kylie smiled a little. A sincere smile. Drew too smiled at the scene. His mind was then flooded with thoughts with no warning.

' _This makes me want to spend some time with Adia.. I've been way too distant lately what with all this bullshit we've had to deal with! Maybe I'm a bad father for not making more time…'_

Drew now had an expression of sadness and regret. He didn't know why, but he felt awful.. He was going to make it up to Adia; that was a promise.

' _I just hope she doesn't hate me for not being there enough..'_

I noticed Drew's expression. I turned to him, and whispered.

"Want to have another movie night? I think we could all use it." Drew looked at me with the same expression, trying to hide the tears beginning to form from me.

"I-" Drew started, but he paused. He looked like he was struggling to hide his emotions. "I gotta go!" With that, he stormed out of the room, leaving me confused.

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 **Drew's POV**

I ran as fast as I could without looking back. I could hear nothing but the beating of my heart and my inner thoughts eating away at me!

" _You're a useless piece of shit! You were a simple mistake, nothing more! It's no wonder no one loves you!..."_

I shook his head to rid himself of the horrible memories as a stream of tears fell down his face. I then felt something touch my shoulder. I turned around to see Jack, an expression of worry and confusion on his face.

"Drew...are you okay man?"

"I'm- I'm a fucking horrible father.. What the fuck is _wrong_ with me!?" I broke down crying, unable to stop myself. I was emotionally shattered..

"What are you talking about?" Jack asked, utterly shocked. "You're a great father! Better than me at least..." I then had an expression of anger, and I yelled,

"Cut the bullshit, Jack!" I softened up immediately and sighed. "I'm sorry.. It's just- It's so clear that you're an amazing father.. You make more time for Kovu than I ever have with Adia.. And now you have another child.. I'm-" Drew struggled against another breakdown.

"But you didn't let Adia wander into the desert and get bitten by a poisonous snake and nearly die." Jack pointed out. "You also didn't..." Jack looked away, closing his eyes tightly, as if what he was about to say was to painful to bring up. I noticed a single tear fall down his face.

"I also didn't what?.." I asked Jack with concern of my own.

Jack opened his eyes. "You know Kenzi? I had a little brother once, much like you have a little sister. I was supposed to watch him when my parents left for a date night. He..."

Jack took a deep breath and continued. "A fire broke out because I took my eyes off of him for one minute, and his attempt to make some food led to a fire. I...couldn't save him. When I got to him he was already badly burned. When we got out...he..."

Jack slumped to the ground and slammed his fist on the ground. "I let my little brother die because I didn't listen to my parents! I...we hated eachother. I always thought he was so annoying, and that he got all the attention from my parents, and the last thing I said to him was that he was..."

Jack stopped.

"We both have done things we regret with our families. But you have a chance to make this right. I didn't..." I was absolutely stunned! I had no idea Jack's past was so brutal.. I shook my head.

"Jesus…" I looked at him and sincerely said, "I am so sorry… You should never have had to go through that.. May he rest in peace.."

Jack smiled slightly. "Thanks man. It means a lot."

He frowned. "I can't help but still worry about all that happened. My parents didn't blame me, but I still felt horrible. I still _feel_ horrible. That is why I'm trying so hard to be a good leader. You don't get the pressure that it puts on you. When those bastards attacked us today, I felt like it was rushing back. I _knew_ that the cubs, that our friends, that our people were there, in the middle of the fight. I could have left more ships behind. We didn't need the entire fleet for a single exercise!"

He got up. "Jesus fucking Christ this is harder than I thought." He chuckled. I reached out and put my hand on his shoulder.

"I know, Jack.. I know how hard all this must be for you.. But no matter what I'll try my fucking hardest to be there. Always remember that.." I sighed. "But even then, there's still much about me and my past that you'll never understand.. I'm no fucking better than… than _he_ was!" I started to walk away when I was stopped by Jack once more.

"I don't care. If I'm going to be honest about this, I don't care about what you may have done in the past. What I've seen is a genuinely good, dedicated person who is _way_ more qualified for leadership then he thinks." Jack turned. "You're like a brother to me. I would trust you with my life." I cringed at that. It meant a lot to me, but it brought back even more horrible memories.

" _I love you, Drew.. We're like the best brothers ever! I trust you with my life, and I'll have yours just the same!"_

" _I love you too, Landon.."_

No.. Not this.. Not that horrible night… I couldn't speak, I could only stand there motionless, breathing heavily and tearing up. The thoughts continued on like a raging nightmare.

 _The door slammed open. It was him.. He was drunk and angry again.._

" _Daddy, no!" An 8 year old Landon begged his father to stop. He couldn't take any more.. He had taken too many already.._

" _Brandon, stop!" Drew's Mom screamed at her husband. Brandon slapped her in the face and knocked her to the floor. Drew and Kenzi stand in a corner shivering, hoping that they wouldn't be next. Brandon turned his attention back to Landon, who was crying._

" _THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT YOU PIECE OF SHIT!" Brandon punched Landon in the face, his crying growing louder. "IF NONE OF YOU WERE HERE I WOULDN'T BE IN THIS MESS!" He continued to reign blow after blow to the poor 8 year old's face. "THIS IS WHY I LEAVE ALL THE TIME! YOU'RE ALL FUCKING MISTAKES THAT ARE IN MY WAY!" A 10 year old Drew couldn't stand to see his brother get pummeled like this! It was even worse than any time before! With an ounce of bravery, Drew ran up to his Father and yelled,_

" _STOP IT, DAD!" He balled up a fist and slugged him good in the face, but it barely fazed him. Drew's skin went pale, regretting what he had done. Brandon laughed slightly and grabbed Drew by his throat._

" _You think you're tough you little bitch!?" Brandon yelled. He punched Drew in the face and broke his nose. He laid there on the floor crying. Kenzi couldn't watch and turned away, crying as well. "GET UP!" He dragged Drew up by his arm and almost pulled it out of his socket. "Hit me! HIT ME!" Before any more damage could be done, he felt something bite him on the back of his leg._

" _AGHH!" Brandon screamed in pain. It was Landon who had seen his brother in trouble. He didn't want to see Drew get hurt too. Brandon turned around and screamed, "THAT'S FUCKING IT!" He picked Landon up by the throat and took him to the kitchen._

" _NO!" Drew screamed. His mother held Kenzi in her arms, trying to comfort her the best she could._

" _It's okay, Baby.." she whispered. "The police are on their way.." But then something bone chilling was heard throughout the whole house._

" _AHHHHHHH!" It was a scream of absolute sorrow and pain from Landon, coming from the kitchen!_

" _LANDON!" Drew's mom yelled for him._

 _Then there was silence…_

 _Brandon walked out of the kitchen with Landon's bloodsoaked corpse. He dropped it on the ground in front of everybody._

" _Oh Jesus.. Jesus Christ.. My baby.." His Mom muttered. She only grabbed him and held him in her arms. Drew and Kenzi look at him crying miserably. They had lost their brother.. They had lost him to this MONSTER that was their Dad.._

 _The door to the house was kicked open and footsteps were heard storming into the house._

" _IT'S THE POLICE! PUT YOUR HANDS UP, NOW!" A police officer yelled at Brandon. Brandon compiled, his expression blank. The officer cuffed him and read him his rights as they exited the house. Drew and Brandon exchanged glances, his father's looking that of no sympathy whatsoever.. He had murdered his own son in cold blood.. Drew had lost his brother forever.._

I was absolutely mortified! The memories were clear as day! It was almost as if it had just happened.. I tried to just walk away once more. I couldn't let anyone see me like this.

"I have to go.." I quietly said.

Jack didn't respond. He only watched as I walked off.

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 **Hera's POV**

"Joel we can't stay here forever you know!"

"And why not?" Joel asked, crossing his arms. "Hera I understand, but this place is the closest thing to a home that we have right now! I don't want you to screw this up just if you get angry at what their doing here! Just try to keep your mouth shut please." Joel pleaded.

"I'm not just talking about the empire Joel! I don't give a shit about the empire!"

"What then? What are you saying?" Joel demanded.

I put my hood up and scarf around my nose and mouth and left the room, curtly saying,

"I'm going to look for more plants!"

I exited the room into the main square of the empire. I climbed over the rubble and squeezed past the broken gates. I then walked around the outer wall of the empire picking and examining the flowers and weeds in the area.

"Goddamn him. We have had this conversation over and over again and he _still_ doesn't get that I need to leave.." I mumbled under my breath.

 **Dinolion92: So that was the chapter folks! Hope you enjoyed it. And we also got to learn more about Jack and Drew's pasts.**

 **LionKingIsAwesome:** _ **Yeahh**_ **, so.. pretty fucked up I gotta say XD But I was going for a tragic backstory and have a reason why Drew is so visibly upset and afraid of being a horrible father to Adia. He doesn't want to** _ **become**_ **his biological Dad.. What will become of all this? Stay tuned.. ;)**


	8. Chapter 8, Day of Decision

**Drew's POV**

I began to walk back to the house where Adia would be. I still couldn't get the horrible memories out of my head.. I had been so focused on the Empire, that I almost never spent any time with Adia.. My biological father was never around for us, and when he was, he was drunk and beat us.. I didn't want Adia to feel _any_ of what I had to go through. I will make sure to that..

As I made my way closer to the house without stopping, I heard Jack yell,

"Drew. I'm sorry!" I turned around to face him, slightly annoyed I had to stop again.

"Sorry for what?" I asked.

"I...I didn't know saying that would hurt you so much. I didn't mean to cause anything." With a sigh, I replied,

"It's not your fault.. You didn't know… I just don't want to end up like my father.."

Jack nodded. "You're a good person. Better then you give yourself credit for."

I looked down. "And I stand by what I said about you being like a brother." I smiled.

"Thanks.. I feel the same way."

Jack nodded before turning serious. "Adia loves you no matter what. You know that right?"

"I know.." I replied. "I just hope she's not mad at me for being so distant all the time.."

Jack nodded. "Honestly, I understand your worry. Its the same thing with Kovu and I."

He shrugged. "I just hope that he and Kylie get along."

"I imagine they will. Kovu is a good kid.. And Kylie seems like a nice girl."

Jack smiled. "Dude, if you ever need to talk, I'm willing to listen."

He sighed. "Still want to watch that movie? I think we all need it. _Especially_ Adia and you." I smirked.

"Is that a question? Hell yeah man! Let's go."

Jack nodded. "Let's go get Kylie and we'll meet everyone at the house. Hopefully this time, you _won't_ need a xanax." I shrugged.

"I dunno.. Kenzi's gonna be there."

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 **Jack's POV**

We returned to the hospital. After checking Kylie out, we began to head to the house.

"So Kylie," Drew began. "Where were you originally from?"

Kylie shrugged. "Nothing special. A crappy mountain town in central Colorado. Weird things happened way to much though."

She chuckled. " _Most_ of my friends were cool. But this one asshole _always_ got on my nerves. He was a racist bigot who would never shut the fuck up about me or anyone he decided to offend that week."

I blinked. "And his mother tolerated that?"

Kylie shrugged again. "I don't know nor care about what happened with him." Drew smirked and said,

"Heh, I like you. You don't take no shit from anybody! I respect that! Smart girl!"

Kylie grinned. "Thanks! He tried to fight me once. Kicked his ass with one punch." Drew busted out laughing.

"No kidding? I'll bet he cried like a bitch too, huh?.. They usually do."

"If you count sounding like a dolphin crying. He went right back to it the next day. But he never did try to fight me again."

I smiled. "That's good."

Kylie grinned. "So...you said something about not everyone here being humans. What are they if I may ask?"

"Oh you know:" Drew began to sarcastically list. "You got your humans of course, then your dinosaurs, aliens, politicians, gods, guys that can choke you without touching you, ya know, the usual.."

Kylie blinked. "Are any of them complete assholes like the kid I told you about?" Drew began to overdramatically chuckle.

"Oh, plenty.." Drew answered.

"Let it go!" Jack groaned. "It was one time!" Drew rolled his eyes.

"He was still an asshole though.. You gotta admit."

"I am not!" Jack growled, before realizing… "Oh yeah, not _that_ incident..." Drew cocked a brow in confusion.

"Are you okay?.." He asked with concern.

"Yes actually. Just..." I laughed. "Okay, Kenzi convinced me to play that one prank on you! I was bored okay, I didn't know it would end like it did." Drew looked at me with annoyance.

"That was _her_ behind it?" Drew asked with his eyes squinted. He sighed. "Should've known.."

Kylie looked from side to side, confused. "Um...do I even want to know?"

"No, no you don't.." Drew replied with a small grin.

Kylie began to giggle. "So...I have a question." Drew cocked a brow and looked to Jack, then back at her.

"Which is?" Drew questioned.

"If you're my new dad," she motioned to me. "What do I call you? Uncle?" Drew nodded with a smile and said,

"Basically, yeah.. _Niece_!"

She grinned.

We headed into the yard.

"Halt!"

We jumped before seeing Caesarius walk out with a water pistol.

He grinned, before pulling the trigger.

"Hey! Not cool!" I growled.

Caesarius' smirk grew wider. "Apologies my Emperor."

He then noticed Kylie.

"And who is this little one?" He asked.

"Kylie. She's my...new daughter." I said.

Caesarius cocked a brow, before grinning. "Very noble thing of you to do, Jack. Pleasure to meet you Princess."

Kylie blinked. "So...I'm royalty now?"

I nodded. "Just don't let it go to your head."

Kylie shrugged. "I would never… So what are my powers?" Drew smirked.

"Well for one you get to boss the assholes around.. That's a good enough power on its own to me!" He said. Drew quickly looked to Jack. "I'm kidding! Don't worry.." Then he muttered, "Kinda sorta not really.."

I cocked a brow at that.

"Everyone's here. We're in the midst of a war to decide what movie we'll watch." Caesarius added.

"Ooh! Ooh!" Drew called like a kindergartner, raising his hand. "What about-"

"NO!" I said quickly. Drew huffed at that.

"It's a good movie, dammit.." He muttered to himself, annoyed.

"I know." I replied, before grinning.

We walked inside, to see Kenzi, Adia, Kovu, the Admirals, CG, Emily, Luis and Ethan arguing.

"No! We're _not_ watching that again!" Kovu cried.

"But it's about true love!" Kenzi countered.

"I don't wanna watch no chick flick!" Adia said. "Let's watch something more actiony." Drew smirked and said,

"I knew I raised that girl right.."

"You Terrans have no appreciation for art." Decimius muttered. "There's no substance to those movies. They're just explosions. We have the fleet for that kind of thing."

"Perhaps we could watch..." Carandial began, before grinning.

"Ahem!" I said, getting everyone's attention.

"Everyone, this is Kylie. I adopted her today. I expect you all to be nice to her, and treat her with as much kindness as Kovu or myself."

Kovu blinked. "Um...hi." He said to Kylie.

"Hi." Kylie said, waving back.

I grinned. "So can I say my vote for the movie?"

"No!" Everyone yelled.

I groaned. "You know, I am the Emperor."

"So?"

I blinked.

"This is Treason!"

"The only treason here is you not wanting to watch this movie!" Kenzi argued. "It's a thrilling love story with-"

"Don't care." Drew quickly said. "Moving on.." Kenzi rolled her eyes and slugged Drew in the arm.

"Ow! What?" Drew said to Kenzi.

"So crude." Carandial deadpanned, before tossing a paper plate at Drew. " _That's_ how it's done."

"Hey, Carandial." Drew said, getting his attention.

The Admiral smirked. "Careful, _Captain_. Want to be demoted?" Drew pretended to go into thought about it and shrugged.

"Right here." Drew said while sticking up both middle finger with a smirk.

Carandial responded with a smirk, before tossing a cup full of water at the captain, drenching him.

"That's it!" I laughed, grabbing a pillow and whacking him with it.

What followed was absolute chaos. Everyone except for Kylie, Adia, Caesarius, and CG began to toss food, water, paper plates and pillows at each other.

"You're dead human!" Palenix cried after Ethan knocked him over with a pillow. Kovu leapt on top of Jack, and blocked his eyes. "Hey! Get off!" Adia rolled her eyes and huffed. She walked outside without saying a word. Drew noticed Adia staring at him while playing with Kovu and Jack. As Adia walked out, Drew stopped.

"Adia?.." Drew questioned to himself as he watched her exit.

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 **Drew's POV**

No one seemed to notice as I left the house to see what was going on with Adia. They kept on having fun, which is what I would prefer anyways.. I stepped out into the night and saw Adia sitting alone not too far away looking at the moon and the stars in silence. I walked towards her slowly. But the closer I got, I realized that I was hearing a noise.

She was crying!

' _Oh no…'_ I thought with concern. I ran up to her and said,

"Adia!?" She glanced at me for a mere second before going back to crying. "Adia, honey what's wrong?" Struggling to talk through her tears she got out,

"Y- You n- never want to spend t- time with me.." I gasped with eyes widened.

' _Adia, no..'_ I thought, heartbroken. I shook my head and before I could reply, she continued,

"Y- you were in there playing with Kovu and Uncle Jack and didn't even say hi to me once.." I mentally facepalmed. I _had_ forgotten to do that, didn't I? And _just_ after I had a _whole_ fucking discussion about this with Jack!

"Baby I- I'm so sorr-" I couldn't finish before I was cut off again.

"Do you hate me, Daddy!? Is that it!? Why do you never spend time with me? I miss you everyday and barely get to see you.." My chest was beginning to hurt now. I wanted to fucking cry myself, but I stayed strong.

"And I'm gonna spend more time with you from _now_ on! I'm gonna worry less about the Empire and _more_ about my daughter!" Adia stood there in silence, her tears beginning to dry up.

"Y- You promise?" Adia asked. I smiled and embraced her tightly.

"I promise.." She nuzzled me in return. I then heard her say,

"It's just-" But she stopped.. I cocked a brow in confusion.

"It's just what, Adia?" She sighed and replied,

"This.. guy was telling me all about how you hate me and you don't wanna be around me.. I just got worried.." I widened my eyes in shock and anger, not towards her, but towards this alleged 'guy' she was talking about.

"WHAT!?" I yelled, probably a bit too loud. I looked around to make sure no one heard and I turned back to her. "Adia, what do you mean? What guy? Who said this?.." Adia began to tear up again.

"I.. I don't know Daddy.. He was just a guy I met in Colossus. He seems to know you well.. Please don't be mad at me, Daddy!.." I calmed down completely in front of her and I gave her a reassuring smile.

"I'm not mad at you, Adia.. I promise." She gave a relieved expression. "Go on inside. I'll be back in there soon." She nodded with a smile and ran back inside. My expression turned back to that of anger.

' _What motherfucker told her this!? Who told her these lies!? Whoever it is had better hope I don't find out who they are! He fucks with MY family? That's going too far.. I'm gonna get to the bottom of this.. That's a promise!"_ I thought angrily.

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 **Jack's POV**

"That's it! I am sentencing you all to kitchen duty for three hundred millennia!" I laughed.

I slammed the pillow into Ethan, before I was suddenly knocked _over_ by a sudden blow to my back. I glared up at Drew.

"Hey! No fair!"

I turned to see Adia had pinned Kovu.

I rolled my eyes.

The next morning was when the headache sat in. This time it was worse. The house was a mess. The rugs were stained, the curtains torn, and...the TV…

It was fucking broken! What the fuck?!

I pulled myself to my feet before falling face first to the ground.

"Oh fuck it! I'm just going to lay here!"

There was a knock on the door. Caesarius groaned, and hobbled over to the door. When he opened it, he saw...Apollo, Anakin and JFK.

They saw us, the supposed leadership of the Empire, strewn all around a filthy house, and with absolutely no dignity left.

Apollo stifled a laugh.

"I never took you Imperials for party-animals."

Caesarius growled in response. "Frak off..."

"Yeah, fuck off!"'Drew yelled in the distance, still laying down, not even facing them.

Apollo grinned, before bursting out laughing. "This is to good to be true! Imagine the scandal that would occur back in Cyrannus if this got out."

Caesarius' eyes widened. "I will _end_ you if you tell _anyone_ about this."

Apollo sighed. "Now, now Grand Mandator, you might hurt yourself again."

Caesarius responded by punching the other Libertus in the face.

"What the frak even is it? It's...twelve in the afternoon?!" Caesarius paled when he noticed a crowd had gathered around the house, all seemingly shocked by the rather compromising scene in the supposed Imperial family's household.

Caesarius' eyes slammed shut. "Un-fraking believable!"

He slammed the door shut, and walked back.

He looked at Drew. " _Never. Do. This. Again!_ " Drew rolled over to face him.

"Do what again? The fuck you mean?"

"This..." Caesarius motioned to the destroyed house. "Is going to cost us."

He sighed, before beginning to laugh. "Next time, don't hit me with a vase okay?" Drew smirked.

"You got it. Next time I'll just use a lamp!"

Caesarius rolled his eyes. "Humans…"

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 **Kovu's POV**

I found Kylie helping clean up the second floor. "Hey." I greeted.

She turned. "Oh hey..."

"So, you're my new sister?" I asked.

Kylie nodded. "It would seem so..."

She looked to the side, before continuing.

"Look...I don't mean to..."

"It's fine!" I said, cutting her off.

"You're a nice person. I was actually wondering if you'd like to join me and my sister on something?"

Kylie looked up. "What do you mean? And...you mean Adia? Uncle Drew's daughter?"

I realized that little detail. "Yeah." I chuckled. That would take some time to get used to. "We were going to take the cubs out to the watering hole. Carandial is going to watch us."

Kylie blinked. "That sounds cool. Yeah! I'll go."

I grinned. "Awesome! C'mon, they're not far."

We found Carandial and the others on the other side of the capital.

"There you are." Carandial greeted. "And welcome, Kylie. Everyone ready to go exploring?"

"Yeah!"'Chumvi excitedly said.

"I'm gonna explore better than you!" Tama said to Tojo. Tojo smirked and replied,

"No you're not! I'm bestest explorer there is!" Kula rolled her eyes.

"Can we just have some food? I'm starving!" Kula complained. She always was one to eat any chance she got.

Carandial grinned. "We'll have plenty of time for all that. In the meantime, let's head out."

We boarded the car, and began to drive out. Within a few minutes, we were near the watering hole.

As Carandial disembarked, he looked over the valley. "Ah… an Arrowtongue is down there. Female, young one by the looks of it."

He pointed out to the somewhat smaller predator, which drank at the water's edge.

Elsewhere, the cubs could also see a herd of _Lurdusaurus_ , small herbivorous dinosaurs, grazing nearby. It was kind of eerie, seeing predator and prey so close and yet so calm.

"Wow!" Simba cried. "I thought they were a bit bigger though."

"I thought so too!" Chumvi commented. "What other animals do you think we'll see out here, guys?"

"I'll bet we see a _Giganotosaurus_!" Nala said.

"I hope not.." Kula said. "Haven't you heard the stories of what happened with Emperor Jack and Drew?"

"Trust me. That thing's _not_ something to joke about." I said, with a shiver down my spine.

Kylie watched in awe at the creatures. When they weren't chasing her, it seemed she actually really liked them.

Then she stopped, she turned, and froze.

I was confused, before I saw what it was.

My eyes widened.

 _Stay calm! Stay calm! Stay calm!_

Admiral Carandial noticed it too. He immediately rushed between us and-

"What is-" Simba trailed off when he saw it.

I froze.

It...it was a new large dinosaur! It was as almost as big as the _Carcharodontosaurus_ , but resembled the _Daspletosaurus_ very closely, almost as if…

Was this the "king of dinosaurs" Dad told me about?

It approached slowly, with dirt brown scales and two tiny arms, and an enormous head full of banana sized teeth that, unlike the knife-like teeth of the _Carcharodontosaurus_ , were like armor-piercing bullets.

 _Tyrannosaurus rex_ …

The massive reptile looked at us, her enormous jaw opening and closing slowly. Her yellow eyes looked around at each of us, as if pondering her next move.

She seemed satisfied with not hunting us, and instead turned to leave.

Then she spotted the herd.

There was stunned silence for a second.

With an ear-splitting roar, she rushed forward. The herd scattered. Even the young female Arrowtongue backed up, deferring to the new queen of the desert.

Then, one older individual fell behind. The _Tyrannosaur_ was upon it in seconds. When the dust cleared, the giant predator stood over its kill, roaring triumphantly into the air.

"Woah..." Simba breathed. Adia shook her head.

"I think I've had enough nature for one day.." She said.

Before anyone could respond, something had leapt into the air and knocked Carandial to the ground.

Carandial's military training allowed him to stop the abomination that had pinned him from slicing out his throat, but that didn't stop the claws from raking into his chest.

Then a gunshot rang out.

The creature slumped to the ground.

Then they finally got a good look at it. The cubs were all shivering.

"W- What was _that_!?" Tojo cried.

"That thing was huge!" Tama added.

"A predatory bat from the future." A Scottish accent began.

Turning, the group saw three men approach, each with a pistol or rifle.

Carandial pulled himself to his feet, cradling his chest. His khaki clothing was covered in red.

"Whoever you are, I thank you for the help."

One of the men nodded. "Nick Cutter. This is Danny Quinn and Stephen Hart. We wound up here a few days ago. We just weren't aware that the Predators were here to."

Carandial blinked. "We've never seen _anything_ like that here."

He looked around. "It's getting dangerous out here. Alright cubs, time to go."

Kylie nodded. "Yeah, I'd prefer not to die today."

Simba looked at the creature again. "How could we not see or hear it coming?"

"They stalk their prey from a distance. Their feet are designed to prevent large transmissions of sound, and they have echolocation, so they use sound to detect prey." Danny Quinn explained. "Yes. Little buggers caused us all some problems back in London." Stephen added.

"Are you all new here too?" Adia asked. "Were you all just transported here out of nowhere?"

The men looked to each other. "Yes." Nick responded after a moment.

"How did you know? Same thing happen to all of you?" Adia nodded.

"Yeah. It's pretty complicated, but I'll explain it the best I can.." It took her awhile to explain all what she knew in detail, but she eventually got it done. "And that's basically what we know so far.."

Danny nodded. "Interesting. It seems that the anomalies are here as well."

"It would seem so." Nick agreed.

He turned. "Please tell me there's some kind of civilization here! I've had enough of dealing with these creatures."

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 **Drew's POV**

I was currently with Jack with not much else to do. I wasn't needed over on the _Cobain_ today, and neither was my crew. It was overall a pretty quiet day.. Just the way I like it. Adia told me she was going with the Pridelander cubs, Kovu, Kylie, and Carandial on a trip to the watering hole, so I decided to spend a bit of time with Jack doing… whatever.

"Some night, huh?" I asked Jack with a smirk, referencing the movie night.

Jack nodded. "Yeah… I have to admit, I miss the action at the moment. I do appreciate the peace, but..." I cocked a brow.

"But what? I wish it was like this all the time!" I smiled, relishing in the fact that it actually was peaceful. "No predators, no assholes named Apollo, nobody wanting to kill you, it feels good!"

Jack chuckled in response. "Yeah, you're right..."

He stopped. "Mind if I ask a dumb question?"

"I'm the king of dumb questions.." I said with a chuckle. "I guarantee it won't be as dumb as some of the shit I've come up with."

Jack sighed. "There's this...girl I'm thinking of talking to more, and…" I interrupted in an immature fashion.

"OOHH! Jack's got him a girlfriend! Bro you gotta tell me! Who is it!?

Jack glared at me. "Not a girlfriend _yet_ , and anyway, its C.G. She's really cute actually."

"Have you told her how you feel?"

Jack shook his head. "I was going to. But after last night..." I cocked a brow.

"What happened last night?"

Jack glared at me. "You seriously forgot where you freaking snuck attack me in the middle of that whole thing?! I still blame you for all that by the way." I started to laugh.

"Oh yeah! That was pretty funny! I-" I noticed Jack's stare and finally got serious. "Look man, if you want her to be your girlfriend, just tell her exactly how you feel.. If you want me to help, I got your back! Just whatever you might want me to do."

Jack grinned, and smiled. "You know what? I will! Thanks man! Be right back."

He got up and began to head off, presumably to ask said girl from the future out. With that, I was now completely alone. I just had to laugh.

' _Jack is lucky! He's gonna have a whole family! Girlfriend and everything! Meanwhile it's just me and Adia.. I wish I could give her a mother figure in her life as well..'_ I sighed.

"Maybe one day.." I muttered. With that, I turned to head towards the house to just relax for the day. I'll wait for Adia to get home. I don't suppose hanging out with Kenzi will be too bad! Right? Oh well, I just wanna spend a day without having to worry about government, or predators, or war, or any of that other shit!

As I was walking, however, I kind of felt uneasy.. I looked behind me and all around, seeing if anything was there.

There was nothing.

' _I must be hearing things..'_ I thought. I continued my walk back once more, but again, I had this uneasy feeling.. It felt as if- as if I was being _watched_! I looked around again, only to see nothing. I was getting kinda nervous now.. And it could all be for nothing!

Out of nowhere, I felt something hit me in the head and knock me to the ground. There was an intense throbbing pain on my head, and all of a sudden I also felt a pressure on my throat, as there was a metal bo staff being held directly to my neck. Regaining my vision, I looked up to see a dark skinned oriental woman who had a ninja-like appearance. She wore clad green.

"What sorcery is this!?" The ninja woman demanded. "Answer me, Earthrealmer! Or die!" I saw a blade stick out of the end of the bo staff. She held it to my throat, demanding an answer.

"Alright! Alright, I'll tell you! But it isn't sorcery.. At least not as far as I can tell.." She kind of loosened up and pulled the staff away a bit.

"Speak!" She said, still in that demanding voice, but much calmer this time. I explained the situation the same way we told everybody pretty much! It didn't take terribly long, and by the end of it, she had the the bo staff at her side, not threatening me with it at all.

"And that's basically the gist of it.." I finished. The woman looked to the side, as if in thought. She put her staff away a few seconds later.

"You mean I'm stuck here?" I nodded and replied,

"As far as I know. At least for now.." She sighed.

"Forgive me, but I was just being careful. I come from a far away land: the land of Outworld." I rose a brow of interest.

"Outworld huh? What's it like?" She then put on an angered expression, not towards me, but towards something else.

"It is a land filled with thieves; Of fornicators and of murderers! All under the rule of a tyrant Emperor, Shao Kahn!" I widened my eyes.

"Emperor?.. My best friend is Emperor of this Empire. He's the leader of this place!" She rose a brow.

"You're friends with this land's Emperor?" I nodded. "If he is anything like Shao Kahn, then I want nothing to do with him _or_ his 'Empire'.. I served Shao Kahn once, but it took the near death of a dear friend to open my eyes.. Never again shall a serve a tyrant such as he!" I shook my head.

"Oh no, Jack isn't a tyrant. He's about as chill as anyone can get! Sure he can be annoying at times, but hey! That's life!" I joked. She looked as if she was going into thought.

"Hmm.." She stood there for a few more moments before asking, "Where would I find this, 'Jack'?" I smirked.

"Welll right now he's getting himself a girlfriend! But after that he should be around."

"I know not of you Earthrealmers and your affairs, but just don't let it take too long.." She said. I nodded in response.

"That's fair." We stood there in silence for about 10 seconds before I asked, "What's your name anyways?" She looked up at me and replied,

"My name is Jade.." I smiled friendly and said,

"It's nice to meet you, Jade."

"What is yours?" Jade questioned.

"Drew King." I answered. "But just 'Drew' is fine." She nodded.

"Okay then, Drew.. You are free to get up." I immediately did so and dusted myself off.

"Y'know," I began, catching her attention. "You're pretty damn good with that thing! You seem to know your way about fighting!" She nodded.

"It is what I was taught from a young age.. It comes naturally to me now." I smiled in awe and said,

"Cool.." The more I looked at her, the more I thought she- No! No, Drew! Don't say it!

' _She's so fucking hot..'_

Dammit, Drew! Oh who am I fucking kidding? Look at her! I always _did_ have sort've a thing for Asian women, but Jesus Christ!

' _Pftt.. Like you would ever stand a chance. Let it go!'_ I thought with self doubt. With a sigh, I walked with Jade back to a place where she could meet Jack to deal with whatever questions she may have.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 **Jack's POV**

I was starting to get nervous. I swear. _Damn it Drew! This is going to be harder than I thought._

I finally entered the cleaned up house. This time, everyone was gone, so it was quiet.

I sighed. I needed to get changed so I looked good. I didn't need to be wearing khakis before asking her out.

By this point, the house had been renovated, with rooms for myself, Kovu, Kylie, Drew, Kenzi, Adia, C.G, Ethan, Emily, Luis, Caesarius, Carandial, Decimius, Palenix, and Siriulilus. My room was at the very end of a hallway.

As I passed C.G's room, I caught the faintest sound of...crying.

I stopped. That...that sounded like C.G…

 _Maybe I shouldn't…_

I turned to leave, before my foot accidentally made the floor creak.

Silence…

"Who's there?"

I mentally facepalmed.

"Jack..." I said.

Silence again.

I sighed, and walked to the door. I knocked.

"C.G...can I come in?"

Silence yet again, before the door opened. C.G looked like a mess. Her hair was disheveled, and her eyes were bloodshot from the crying.

"What is it?" She asked, wiping away a tear.

I honestly didn't know what to say.

How could I?

"Do...do you want to talk?"

C.G sighed. "I don't need a lecture right now."

I sighed. "I just want to make sure you're alright."

C.G groaned, before motioning for me to come in.

"I'm _fine_." She said quickly.

I crossed my arms. "Ceege, you can talk to me. What is it? What's wrong?"

C.G looked away. "You wouldn't understand."

"Try me."

C.G looked to me. "You really want to know?"

I nodded. I put a hand on her shoulder. I noticed a slight change in expression. A miniscule change of emotion from anger to...worry.

"It's alright." I said.

She sighed, before sitting on her small bed. "I..."

She wiped her eyes. "I had a dream about my home last night."

I blinked. She never did talk much about her home.

"Bad?"

She nodded. "Back in my own time, the year 12,000 AD, a mega-ice age was threatening humanity. My father built the time flyer, and sent me to find a new home for humanity in the far future."

She continued. "When we arrived here, we still hadn't found one. After months of searching, none of the environments suited us. And yet..."

"When we arrived here, it seemed perfect, and we had no way of telling my father. I could have found a new home for my people, and yet I failed them. But..."

She looked away.

"What is it?" I asked.

"That wasn't why I was crying...I..." She looked down.

"It's wrong. I shouldn't feel this way. It could never work. I'm sorry Jack. I shouldn't have-"

I began to feel a lump in my throat. Was...this going where I think it was…?

"I understand. You don't need to-"

"C.G...what are you trying to say?"

She looked at me.

"I…" She paused, before looking down. "I always had...feelings for you. I'm sorry."

I froze.

"I shouldn't have told you that. You don't need to-"

I put my hand on her's. She stopped, and looked at me. I spotted the tiniest hint of hope in her eyes.

"Jack..."

"I...wanted to say this since we first met...I..." I chuckled, starting to feel nervous again.

"I always had a crush on you. I always thought you were kind, amazing, resourceful, dedicated and...beautiful. I just didn't tell you because, well, I didn't want to make you uncomfortable."

She looked at me with an unreadable expression.

"You...you didn't..." She declared.

She smiled slightly. "Do you mean that? What you said?"

I began to feel better, and nodded.

She smiled, and a tear of joy fell from her eye. Her beautiful blue eyes.

For a second, we stared at each other, before I began to inch forward.

 _No going back now…_

She closed her as our lips met. I felt like all bad in the world ceased. I felt nothing but pure bliss in this moment.

It was beautiful. Love…

Requited…

It was a funny thought. I had never thought I'd find love, and yet…

I was in heaven…

I had finally found love.

I had everything. All I ever wanted was right here before.

My empire…

My son and daughter…

My brother…

And now…

My love…

 _All I ever wanted…_

 _I am home…_

 _Here I belong…_

 _With my family, friends and empire…_

 _I am a Sovereign Emperor! A son and arbiter of our proud new state! This...this world...this empire...this family...this is where I belong!_

I wanted that moment to last forever.

But alas, all great things must end.

We pulled away.

"What about the others?"

I stopped.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"The others. What if they don't approve or disagree?"

I sighed. "That doesn't matter. What matters is that we both want this. It's _our_ decision alone. I don't care what they say."

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 **Jack's POV**

C.G and I sat on the porch, enjoying the time of peace so far.

However, we were sharing a single bench, C.G leaned on my shoulder. I was enjoying this so much. If only it could go on forever…

"Jack!" I heard someone yell. It was Drew.

I groaned. C.G looked over, before groaning as she sat up.

"Nice going dude. You ruined a perfect moment!"

"Well fucking sorrry.. But we have another visiter.."

I looked at the newcomer, then to Drew. I noticed he was…

 _Oh no… This was great!_

I smirked at him. Drew cocked a brow at me.

"What?" He asked.

"Oh nothing." I said innocently. "Welcome miss. I'm Jack, Emperor of the Empire." I said formally.

Jade took out her traditional green fans and bowed.

"It is an honor, Emperor. I am Jade, one of the former guardians of Outworld."

I nodded in acknowledgement. I got up. "I assume my friend has explained the situation?" She nodded.

"Yes, he has explained it very clearly. What I am unsure of, however, is where I go on from here.. I suppose I could travel throughout the land and see where it takes me.. It's not like there's any other option. I am a long way from Earthrealm and Outworld."

"You're welcome to stay here if you wish. We won't turn our backs on anyone here." Jade widened her eyes.

"Really? You would do that? But why?" She questioned.

"I try to be as just a ruler as I can be. This place had few original inhabitants. This city, this Empire was built by people much you. _All_ of us are long way from our original homelands, but that doesn't mean we don't try to help eachother. We're an empire of survivors, I won't turn anyone away, even former enemies if they prove their usefulness or that the past is forgiven."

I was talking about the Republic and Apollo obviously. I looked to Drew, as if waiting for him to get my reference. Drew groaned.

"That guy is such a dick though!" Drew complained. It seems that he had gotten it..

" _Anyways_ , we don't turn our backs on anyone here. You may leave if you wish, but know you're welcome to stay." Jade looked at Drew for a moment, then back to me.

"So what Drew says is true: you are a completely different Emperor than Shao Kahn ever was! I respect your nobility and your trait for wanting to help others." She complimented. But then her expression held that of seriousness. "But I wouldn't be so trusting if I were you.. You never know who will stab you in the back.. I speak from experience. Just keep your guard up, Emperor.."

I nodded. "We have dealt with invaders twice now. We have learned to keep our guard up."

I turned to Drew. "Executive Officer Kylantha? This is the Emperor, you are to move the _Cobain_ over Colossus."

I was referring to the Corthrinus second in command of Drew's ship. Most of the fleet was on routine patrols in the twenty five mile zone we had established around Colossus.

Within seconds, the distinctive mile long profile of the _Cobain_ appeared overhead. The first of a new generation of Star Destroyers, this ship was designed with the aid of our new allies. It was expected to replace the existing Star Destroyers in the fleet in a few days, when the last five would be completed.

"This is one of our strongest defenses against enemy invasion. Drew actually commands that vessel." I explained. Jade rose a brow.

"You are in command of that thing in the sky?" She questioned. Drew smiled nervously, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head.

"Welll, yeah. I lead an entire crew of men ready to defend the Empire if necessary."

"Interesting.." Jade commented, turning to face Drew. "There is much about this place that I still must learn. Much about you that I still must learn.."

I nodded. "We were the same when we first arrived here."

"You'll learn. We all have much to learn about this place." Jade nodded and said,

"Well whatever lodging you offer is much appreciated, though I will still be keeping my eye on you. The last Emperor I encountered wasn't so giving.. You don't appear to be as he was, but you can never be too careful."

"There are some houses that we just finished a little ways away. And I understand. We all must be careful here. I will have one of my officials show you to your dwelling." Jade acknowledged his statement with a nod.

"Let us go then." She said.

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As Jade and the official headed off to her new home, I turned to Drew.

"Interesting...I still find it amazing how many people we meet in this world." Drew chuckled and replied,

"I'll say! We sure meet some characters sometimes.."

I nodded. "We have a meeting coming up actually. Its to discuss the new Star Destroyers we've completed and what we'll do with the older models." Drew nodded.

"When is it?"

"Shortly. In fact, we've gotten an interesting request from a few individuals." He cocked a brow.

"Which would be?"

As I motioned for him to follow me, I gave my answer. "Admiral Willelmus Cretacea, Apollo's father has requested that we allow the Republic officers and men who want to join the Navy a chance. They even have a new design that they said will add to the efficiency of the _Cobain_ -class. You ever hear of the concept of a Carrier Battlegroup in the US Navy?" Drew nodded.

"Yes, I've heard of it before. This will be the same?"

"Pretty much. A _Cobain_ -class would lead three of the proposed _Redeemer_ -class Star Destroyers, which are somewhat smaller, at 1,150 meters in contrast to the _Cobain_ 's 1,600 meters. They'd be faster, and carry more fighters, but lack the sheer firepower we placed into the _Cobain_ , they're also suggesting adding other designs. Caesarius himself is considering adding other new designs of Imperial origin as well."

I grinned. "We're at the beginning of a massive expansion of the fleet." Drew gave a grin of his own.

"The bigger the military the better!"

I nodded. "By the end of the year Thrawn projects a fleet of seventy Star Destroyers and hundreds of smaller ships, then we can take the fight to Palpatine. Come on, let's go meet with the others." Drew nodded and followed me to the meeting.

When we got there, Caesarius, Admirals Carandial, Palenix, Decimius, Siriulilus were waiting with Kennedy, a few officers from his time, and a large number of Republic and Skywalker-allied officers.

"Welcome." Caesarius said, saluting us.

We saluted back, and joined them at the meeting table.

"Let's have it." I said.

Thrawn nodded.

"We have completed the deployment of the first twenty eight of the _Cobain_ -class Star Destroyers, though we all agree that more ships are necessary, especially to allow us more versatility in the event of battle."

"Makes sense." Drew said.

"That is why we've brought up three designs of new ships for the fleet." Admiral Shavalera, a former Republic officer, began. "The _Redeemer_ and _Predator_ -class Star Destroyers and the _Spirit_ -class Dreadnought. The first is 1,150 meters long, the second 1,300 meters, and the third is 12,500 meters. The last would fill a dedicated flagship role, and be primarily used as single flagships for high ranking officers."

I was a little surprised by the massive size of the _Spirit_ -class. Why did we need something so enormous?

"For one reason, to compete with the Galactic Empire's Dreadnoughts." Carandial declared, showing us an image our probes had taken of a massive new Galactic Empire design.

"We fielded similar ships in Cyrannus," He continued. "This Galactic Empire seems to have the same idea."

"Then we need to equal, if not surpass their level of power. If we truly need a vessel this big to beat these fuckers, then I'm all for it!" Drew commented.

I nodded. "I approve of the new designs. Schedule deployment of the first batch to occur this month."

"And what of our new potential officers?" Decimius asked.

"Your empire has not been a tyrannical one." Admiral Cretacea said. "You let us live, and allowed us to live in peace. You even protected our people just as you did your's when the Galactic Empire invaded. For that reason, we would each like to volunteer."

"The way I see it," Drew began, catching everyone's attention. "You have all shown that you have no intentions of betraying us.. You have pulled your weight and worked through a lot. As for what I think: you've gained my trust! I say let 'em join!" He ended with a smile.

Caesarius stroked his chin, before smiling slightly. "Very well, if the Emperor shall allow it, we will allow you to join."

He looked to me.

I grinned, and nodded. "Welcome to the Imperial Navy."

I looked around. "In light of our newly expanding fleet, I believe an expansion is necessary. We shall organize the Navy into eight battlegroups, four battlefleets, and two fleets."

"Like Napoleon.." Drew commented. "Well, of course not _exactly_ like him, but still the same basic idea! I think it's actually better to attack this way instead of just having one big fleet go at it! It'll confuse those bastards. It's smart strategy.." He added.

Tector Decimius nodded. "It will also soften the blow in the event of any one defeat. It could also give time for the rest of the fleet to reorganize or stabilize the situation."

"So what's our next move exactly?" Drew asked.

"I suggest an invasion of the Slice region of the Galactic Empire. It's one of the richer parts of the galaxy and will give us the ability to work with the Rebellion." Admiral Piett suggested.

One of Piett's comrades, newly promoted High Admiral Lorth Needa agreed. "I would like to personally volunteer for this mission. I can ready my assigned battlefleet within the hour."

He turned to Drew. "I would like to request Admiral Roslia and Admiral Temer to join my battlefleet, as well as Captain King." Drew grinned.

"I'd like that. Let's kick some Galactic ass!" He yelled. The table thundered in cheers, hyped for the upcoming battle. Drew looked as if he was in major thought, but was struggling if he wanted to say it or not.

"Doesn't the leader of those fuckers have that 'Force' that Anakin choked me with?" Drew asked.

"Yes."

Everyone turned to see Anakin step into the room. "That is why I'll be accompanying you. I will lead the fighters." Drew sighed in relief.

"Well that makes me feel better.." He muttered to himself. "But if I may," he hesitated. "I did have.. one other suggestion to include.."

I grinned. "Kratos?" Drew cocked a brow.

"How'd you know?"

"The force told me."

Anakin didn't seem amused. "That's not how-oh whatever. Let's just go." Drew nodded.

"You're right.. Let's head out." Drew said as he stood up. "I'm just saying though, with that white bastard on our side, we would be almost unstoppable! The number of our men's lives he took that day.."

"I agree. We could use a living weapon like him." Caesarius declared.

"Where would we find this 'Kratos'?" JFK asked, not really fully knowing who he was. Drew shrugged and replied,

"Beats me.. He could be on the other side of the desert for all I know."

"Perhaps Admiral Needa's Battlefleet could secure orbital superiority, while I find Kratos and we'll lead the ground invasion?" I suggested.

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 **No POV, Wayland, Outer Rim of the Galaxy**

"Does everyone understand?" High Admiral Needa asked.

"Understood Admiral." Rear Admirals Helo Roslia and Aerolan Temer reported.

Needa responded with a grin. "Then to your stations! We will arrive at Wayland, secure its weapons laboratory, and then push on towards Coruscant! The Rebellion will aid us after this battle. We need to secure a foothold there so the rest of our fleet can come through."

He turned to Drew. "Captain Drew will be the spearhead of this attack. Roslia, you will support his attack with your _Redeemers_ and _Predators_ , Temer will secure orbit and provide support. Understood?" Drew nodded.

"Got it."

Needa nodded, and ended the transmission. Finally, the ships exited the wormhole, over the jungle Planet Wayland. Only a single _Imperial I_ -class Star Destroyer guarded the planet. It was backed up by a few _Tartan_ patrol cruisers and a few squadrons of fighters.

Needa opened the transmission. "All ships! This is Admiral Needa! Press forward and engage! For the Emperor! For the Empire! For freedom!"

Cheers rang out from the ships, and within a matter of seconds, blue turbolasers began raining fire down at the lone Star Destroyer.

"Light that fucker up!" Drew commanded, leading the assault.

The _Cobain_ moved forward, supported by several new Star Destroyers. "Captain King? This is Admiral Roslia! Deploying fighters now. We'll provide cover for your ship."

"Understood." Drew replied, firing shots at the Star Destroyer.

The ship buckled from the stress, but responded with its own spread of Turbolasers. Most went past the _Cobain_ , but a few struck, though luckily, they were absorbed by the shielding.

As the _Cobain_ closed in, the other Star Destroyer began to descend into the atmosphere, trying to escape the combined firepower of twenty Star Destroyers. Drew felt like he was about to break a sweat. He said,

"Man, this shit's insane! Can't say I've ever fought in a Space war before.. Or even _been_ to Space for that matter.."

"We've all been there, captain." Admiral Temer chuckled.

"Bringing up my ships now. Let's finish this!" He added.

As the two battlegroups closed in, there was a sudden beeping on the radar.

"Captain..." Kylantha, Drew's Executive Officer began

"What is it, Kylantha?" Drew asked, not noticing. .

His question was answered when a _massive_ fleet of one hundred Star Destroyers, Battlecruisers and Dreadnoughts suddenly arrived in the system. Then, something even worse. A massive, spherical battlestation soon followed.

"Holy titties.." Drew cursed in shock. He sarcastically added, "This is gonna be fun."

On the bridge of the Death Star, Grand Moff Willhuff Tarkin smirked. "Sir? Shall I begin targeting their fleet?" A subordinate asked.

"Admiral Zaarin will handle the fleet. Target the base at Wayland. Single Reactor Ignition."

With a single blast of its hyperlaser, the Death Star cleansed the planet of all life, destroying the base, and all the innocent people on the planet.

The Star Destroyers began to rain fire on the trapped battlefleet.

"All ships! Assume a defensive stance! We can't hold out against that fleet! Fall back to safety! I'll cover the retreat."

Needa's flagship, the _Salvation_ moved forward and engaged a larger _Praetor_ -class Battlecruiser, where precision shots from the smaller Star Destroyer managed to disable the ship's bridge.

However, it was too late.

On the other side of the battle, Temer's battlegroup was being cut to pieces. The admiral attempted to cover their retreat, before his ship was consumed in an explosion caused by the combined assault of three Star Destroyers.

Roslia meanwhile was trying desperately to coordinate with the rest of the fleet, trying to find a route of retreat.

"Found one!" He exclaimed. "All ships, retreat to this waypoint, retreat when you get there..."

Then, to the horror of the fleet, the _Salvation_ was shattered as a massive _Executor_ -class Dreadnought fired a full volley of lasers that cleaved the smaller ship in half.

Drew tried to get into contact to see how everyone else was managing.

"Admiral?" Drew began. "Admiral are you there? It's a fucking madhouse over here! Do you need any assistance?"

No response.

"Captain King? You need to get out of there, our fleet is going to be lost if we don't retreat now!"

"Admiral!?" Drew continued even louder. He then said, "Have you had any contact with the Admiral lately? He's not responding!"

"His ship...it was just destroyed. He's...gone." Drew went silent for a few seconds.

"Christ…" He muttered.

"Captain-"

Then, Admiral Roslia was cut off. Drew turned to see the bridge of his flagship, a little ways away, had been hit.

"The Admiral's injured!" The Executive Officer of Roslia's ship reported. "Orders?" Drew then had an expression of anger.

"I'm not done with these fuckers yet! Officer, what are our chances of survival if we keep pursuing the attack?"

"We're outnumbered five to one, not counting the larger Dreadnoughts. We've lost half our force...we must retreat." She seemed just as horrified to suggest that as Drew was. Drew sighed. He didn't want to retreat.. He was _no_ quitter! But on the other hand, he thought of his family: of Adia, of Kenzi. Even of Jack and his family! What would they think if he was dead?.. Especially from doing something stupid! Gritting his teeth, Drew ordered,

"Fall back.." There was a couple seconds of silence. "Now!"

As the meager remnants of their fleet fell back into the hyperspatial barrier between the dimensions, they realized that seven of Admiral Temer's battlegroup had been destroyed, and that four of Roslia's had also been lost. Eleven ships of a twenty ship force. More than half.

Yet, Drew still felt confident that this was only a setback. The war _would_ be won.

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 **Jack's POV**

I was honestly quite nervous about this whole idea. Seriously, I knew we needed him, but this guy could just as easily be our enemy as our friend.

I finally spotted him! He was surprisingly enough not that hard to find. He was at the Watering Hole rinsing himself off with some water. It looked like blood, but not his own! I looked in shock as not far away from him lay a dead _Giganotosaurus_! He had cut off it's claw and attached it to what he was wearing as a trophy. Or as a way to show the other predators not to mess with him! He even had a severed head of that futuristic bat! Unbelievable! It seems he even made a fur coat out of the _Deinofelis_ and wore it as clothing.

He seems to have suffered not _one_ visible injury from _any_ of those encounters! Just _how_ did this guy do that!? We've struggled with these predators for a long time now, and here he is murdering them with relative ease. I sighed. At the very least, we knew he could kill, and kill good.

I stopped the car, and disembarked.

I waved to him cordially, trying to show I was not a threat. He stopped what he was doing and walked towards me, still having his typical scowl on his face.

"What brings you here, ' _Emperor_ '?" Kratos asked.

"I come with an offer." Kratos rose a brow.

"An offer?" He then chuckled a bit. "I don't _take_ offers, boy.." He started to walk off.

"What if its offering to help find a way for you to get home?" I asked. Kratos stopped in his tracks and turned back around. He crossed his arms.

"I'm listening.." He said.

"We are at war. We require a general of your caliber. In exchange for assisting us in this war, we will provide both a way home, and whatever it is you require when you get there."

"Hmm.." Kratos thought. "You drive a hard bargain, Emperor.." He then walked closer to me. "But how will I know you won't double-cross me like the gods of Olympus have!? We all know what happened to them.." He finished coldly.

"I know your power. What would I have to gain from attempting a certain to lose attack on you? Why would I risk myself and my empire for that?" Kratos stood in silence for a couple seconds before replying,

"You make a reasonable point.." He then made his decision. "I will help you win this war, and in exchange you _will_ give me passage back to Greece, I _will_ have my revenge on Zeus! And if you do not do so, then I will send you and your entire Empire to the depths of Hades! Are we in agreement!?"

"Yes." I said. I was honestly _very_ uncomfortable with this (but Drew was putting up with the Republic and Apollo, so I could put with this guy.)

"If I fail, you are free to kill me, though I must beg you, do not take my people with me. Do whatever you wish to me, but let them live." Kratos began to scowl.

"Do not test my patience, boy! Do we have a deal? Yes or no?"

I sighed. "Yes. We do." Kratos nodded.

"Very well.. Where is this war to take place?"

"We are assembling our army at our capital, and then we will invade the enem-"

Suddenly, overhead, a spherical battlestation arrived, escorted by twenty Imperial Star Destroyers and a single Dreadnought!

"Right there. The war is right there." I said.

"They're going to land their army. Can you lead the ground assault while I handle the air battle?" Kratos nodded.

"I will lead the ground assault. But I will do things _my_ way! In the ways of Sparta! There is no room for weakness under my command!"

I grinned a little. "Trust me, we won't fail you."

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I took a deep breath. Anakin had reported that the invasion had failed and the Galactic Empire was invading again. This time, however, we were ready. Our new Dreadnoughts and Star Destroyers would be a match for the Galactic Empire's fleet.

I stood on the bridge of one of the ships, alongside Caesarius and Drew. The _Cobain_ was at the head of the fleet. The _entire_ fleet and army were ready to attack.

I spoke. "All commanders report in."

"1st Fleet standing by." Decimius chimed in.

"2nd Fleet standing by." Palenix added.

"Air wing standing by." Anakin reported.

"I have no time for this! We will attack now!" Kratos demanded.

I sighed. "Men of the empire! Advance!"

With that single order, hundreds of fighters, two Dreadnoughts, seventy Star Destroyers, and twenty thousand men pushed forward. The Galactic Empire moved to meet us. This...would be the decisive battle.

The plan was simple. The fighters would fly into the trench of the Death Star, while our army and fleet distracted their ground and space forces. There was an exhaust port Anakin had discovered, and any pressurized explosion there would destroy the station.

Then, to our surprise, another large fleet arrived. Their larger ships were of slightly organic design, though many of the smaller ones looked a little more mechanical.

"This is Admiral Ackbar of the Rebel Alliance! We are here to aid you as promised!"

I grinned. "Welcome to the party."

I turned to Drew and Caesarius. "No mercy." I said. Drew nodded with determination.

Caesarius did so as well. "Ships and men of the Empire! This is Chief of Defense Deoclet Caesarius. Today we secure our destiny! Today we free our people! Today we end this! Today, we fight for the Empire!"

The air began to fill with countless lasers and missiles as both sides exchanged heavy fire.

On the ground, Kratos led the army in a charge, and tore into the advancing enemy forces. He defeated every enemy soldier with trivial ease, while the advancing soldiers exploited the gap he created by rushing in and breaking the enemy line.

"End their lives! Destroy them!" Kratos commanded his troops, and they did so with no hesitation.

The men cheered as they rained fire into the enemy line, while tanks and light vehicles hit the enemy with shells and machine gun fire. Some soldiers even entered into hand to hand combat, using everything from knives and swords to claws and teeth.

But then something unexpected happened..

 _BOOM!_

A nearby walker had shot Kratos directly in the chest. He slumped to the ground.

"Oh shit!" A soldier yelled.

As they began to close in, however, a sudden war cry was yelled throughout the entire battleground! It was Kratos, and now he was on fire! It was his Rage Of Titans! He immediately got to his feet and swung his Blades of Chaos at the walker, destroying it instantly! The ground forces of the enemy began to realize their mistake.

"Fall back!" Their ground commander said, but it was too late. Kratos had already decimated almost half of their ground forces already! All they could do is run for their lives! Kratos picked up a walker with his bare hands and threw it at the retreating soldiers. It killed many instantly, but a few lucky ones escaped the blast.

Finally Kratos' Titan Rage ran out and he went back to normal. His men were stunned about what they just saw. They cheered triumphantly in victory! Kratos had to smirk. It felt kind of good being in command of an army again.

In the air, the battle was joined. The Imperial Navy entered into direct broadside range with the enemy Star Destroyers. The two _Spirit_ -class Dreadnoughts began to open fire on the _Executor_ -class leading the Imperial fleet.

Meanwhile, Jack was coordinating with Caesarius while Drew commanded the _Cobain_.

Then, it all ended. The Death Star suddenly exploded! It seemed Anakin and the fighters had completed their task.

"This is Skywalker! We've done it! Repeat! We've destroyed the Death Star!"

Cheers rang out, and the Imperial Navy forces, air and ground, rushed forward into the heart of the enemy lines.

Then, the _Cobain_ arrived above the _Executor_ -class.

I looked to Drew. "Fire." I said.

"Fire!" Drew yelled.

"Fire!" Caesarius ordered.

The thunderous barrage of lasers that followed carved a bloody swath through the Dreadnought, which was already being pummeled with hundreds of lasers every second.

Finally, the massive, 20 kilometer dreadnought burst into flame, a few remnants crashing to the ground. With its destruction, the fleet finally crushed the last remnants of the Star Destroyers that remained.

As the last ship exploded, cheers rang out. It was over…

A thunderous ovation followed. The cheers of twenty thousand victorious men, of almost six hundred Star Destroyer crewman, and of two thousand pilots.

It was a crushing victory. An Imperial Armada was broken. An enemy superweapon had been destroyed, never to threaten us again, and we had _earned_ our place as a free nation.

"Soldiers!" I began.

There was instant silence.

"Today, we achieved a great victory. Today, we secured our place in this world. _Every_ one of you has proven himself. Republic, American, former Galaxian, Imperial or any other one here, we have come together and won the greatest victory in history. Today, the Galactic Empire trembles before the might of our conquering Empire! Soon we shall take the fight to Palpatine, and this time, we shall triumph! Long live the Empire! Long live freedom!" Everyone, save Kratos, cheered victoriously. Every soldier, every commander, was connected in some way. Some were family, some friends, some both. There was hugs going all around and many relieved faces right then.

Drew walked up to me with a smile and said,

"You did good, Jack! This was a hell of a victory!"

I smiled. "I couldn't have done it without you."

I turned to Caesarius. "Thank you."

He nodded. "You're welcome. Emperor."

He then saluted. I saluted back.

"Boy!" Kratos said to me. "A word.."

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I stepped out of the shuttle, and approached Kratos.

I nodded for him to say what needed to be said.

"I have to say, your men show great potential. More than I had expected.." Kratos commented.

I nodded.

"Which is why, at least for the time being, I will help you and your Empire secure more victories in combat.. I will teach those that are worthy the ways of Sparta, and any military force that _dare_ stand in our way will _tremble_ at our name!"

I smiled. "Welcome to the Imperial _Army_ , Grand Marshal. You will be the head of our ground forces as of this moment." Kratos nodded in acknowledgment.

"This will not stand forever.." Kratos said with force. "I will continue to aid your forces, _just_ so it will be easier to gain passage back to Greece!"

I nodded. "I understand. Thank you for your assistance." Kratos then walked off without another word.

As he left, I turned to the men. "Let's go home. _All_ of us."


	9. Chapter 9, Alliance

**Jack's POV**

I took a deep breath as I disembarked the shuttle. As the ramp lowered, I heard a torrent of cheers.

I laughed a little, and waved as we exited the ship. Drew, the Admirals and I then spotted Kenzi, C.G, Adia and Kovu.

I smiled, and walked forward. C.G smiled and hugged me.

"Dad!" Kovu cried, rushing forward.

"Daddy!" Adia cried with the same level of excitement towards Drew. Drew hugged her tightly with a smile on his face. He looked glad to be home!

Kylie smiled and ran forward after them.

I hugged my two children, and felt nothing but sheer joy.

No words could describe how good this felt.

We were victorious.

As I looked around at the cheering, the flag waving, the sheer euphoria, it made proud to be here.

 _Screw earth. This is my home!_ I thought.

 **Drew's POV**

I was finally home! I had Adia in my arms again and nothing else mattered to me in this moment! We were nearly killed in the first battle, even losing some amazing men, including admirals.. But the second battle, we kicked some ass! Honestly, with Anakin and Kratos _both_ on our side? On top of an already fierce and determined military? How could we have lost?

But now the battle was over, at least for now.. I am relieved to no end about that. I was back with my family and I was going to enjoy myself for awhile!

I looked over at Jack, Kovu, Kylie, and C.G. I smiled at the sight. They really were an amazing family! Maybe one day Adia, Jade and I could be a-

 _Wait_

I widened my eyes in shock at what I had just thought. Did I really just think that!? Get over yourself! She would never love someone like you! She wouldn't wanna be apart of your family! Just forget about it..

I sighed.

"Come on, Adia." I told her. "Let's go see Uncle Jack and Aunt C.G." Adia smiled.

"Okay!" She excitedly said. We walked up to the family and I said,

"It's good to be home, ain't it?"

Jack turned.

"You know, I could really use a victory dinner."

"You read my mind."

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 **Jack's POV**

We all sat down in a nice restaurant, ready to enjoy some much needed food.

"Guys, that was amazing! We saw the air battle, and we couldn't believe what happened!" Kylie commented.

"Yeah!" Adia said. "You and Daddy shot those guys right out of the sky! It was incredible!"

I chuckled a little. "Yeah. I'm just glad it's all over."

C.G nodded. "So am I. Though I must ask, what if this continues? What if they don't make peace?"

"As Kratos would say," Drew began. He then did his deepest voice. "They would all die.."

We all laughed at that.

"Yes. We'll keep beating them, go all the way to Coruscant if we have to, until Palpatine and his ilk are dead in the ground."

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 **Unknown POV**

"Skipper's log..." I began my age old routine. Every time my unit and I went on a mission, saved the world or had to deal with Ringtail's shenanigans, I reported the situation.

"Hot...too hot…We're stuck in a desert, with no food or water, or-"

"Eh, stupidy penguin?" Said annoying lemur began.

"Not now ringtail!" I snapped.

"Skippa…" Private began.

I was starting to get annoyed.

"What?! What could possibly be the big eme...ergency..." I blinked.

A large city was finally visible on the horizon.

"Men, do you see that too?" I asked.

"You mean the titanium alloy skyscrapers built over a-" Kowalski began.

"Yes, we see the city Skippa!" Private declared.

"Yep." Rico agreed.

"Huh..." Marlene, our otter friend began, "You're right. I thought that was a mirage."

"What does marriage have to do with this? I don't see any-" Julien began.

" _Anyway_." I said. "That's our best chance. Let's just hope its not lower mammals that rule that place."

"Hello?" A voice called out. It was a female by the sound of it. "Who's out there?"

I turned to see a young human girl, maybe 13 approaching. When she saw us, she giggled.

"Awee, look at the penguins." She then looked at Marlene. "And is that an otter? I love otters!" Finally she looked at Julian. "And.. hmm, a lemur. Interesting."

The lemur blinked, offended. "What? You like the testy penguins but not the king?"

"He'll never let that go." Maurice sighed.

Mort, meanwhile, took the opportunity to grab the idiot king's feet. "THE FEET!"

I sighed. "You didn't see anything..." I said, waving my hands in a circle. The female mammal cocked a brow.

"Umm, yeah. Yes I did see it.. So you all can talk, huh? That's cool! It wouldn't be the strangest thing I've seen in this place."

"She knows too much!" I groaned.

Rico then upchucked a stick of dynamite. "Kaboom?" He asked.

"Come on Skippa! What's so bad about this anyway? We help humans all the time." Private pointed out.

I sighed, and nodded. "No kaboom Rico."

Rico mumbled in sadness, and swallowed the dynamite back into his bottomless gut.

"Sorry, I'm Skipper, this is my team, Kowalski, Private and Rico. This is Marlene, Julien, Maurice and Mort." The aforementioned mouse lemur was finally kicked off of Julien's feet.

"So where's the head honcho of these parts? We're stuck out here and need some kind of explanation, and fish, mostly fish." I added. The human chuckled.

"Well if you mean the leader, then that'd be Jack. I could show you where he's at if you need to talk to him." Then she added, "And I'm sure there's some fish around too.."

I grinned. "Excellente, oh, and talking to this Jack is good too."

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 **Jack's POV**

I grinned, sipping a little hot chocolate. "You know, it's funny how cold it's getting. You think it will snow in a few weeks?"

Drew and C.G were with me. We were hanging out on the porch, enjoying a nice break from all the administration. Drew shrugged.

"Who knows? I come from Missouri originally, and it could snow one day, and be 80 degrees the next! If this place is anything like that, then it's definitely possible." Drew laughed.

C.G shrugged. "I've dealt with enough cold for one lifetime."

I shrugged. "If you lived in California cold would be 99 degrees. It's _never_ cold there."

I turned to Drew. "Any luck?" I asked with a grin. I could tell he was in love with Jade… Drew widened his eyes and tried to play dumb.

"Luck? Luck with what?" Drew asked.

I grinned. "You know...Your little crush."

C.G rolled her eyes. "Why is that such a big deal to you?"

I shrugged. "Peacetime is boring for me. I have to find _some_ kind of entertainment." Drew rolled his eyes and jokingly said,

"You're a dick, Jack.. You know that?"

I laughed. "Yes, I know." Drew sighed.

"I dunno man.." He began. "I know I've only known her for like 2 days, but she's just hot as fuck! Not that I'm just into her for her looks.. I'm sure she's a great person too when she's not trying to kill me." Drew laughed at that.

I nodded. "Like you told me, you just need to get up the courage to ask."

C.G looked at me, amused. "You two are hopeless." Drew shrugged with a smirk.

"Aren't we always?.." He sarcastically asked.

C.G rolled her eyes. "Drew, if you do like her, tell her how you feel. The longer you hide it, the more it will mess with you, trust me, I know." Drew sighed.

"You know I can't do that, C.G." He said seriously. "I mean, what'll I say? 'Hey, I know we just met a couple days ago and you almost tried to kill me, but I think I'm in love with you!'."

C.G sighed. "Well if you say it like that. But seriously, what's with men thinking that we will always say no? We go through the same worries you do. We do love you guys back, so if you won't ask, you might be giving it all up." Drew looked as if he was in thought. He grinned and said,

"You make a point. I appreciate the help, C.G. I hope you know that." He paused. "But I don't know.. I may give it some time.."

I nodded. "I understand. I do get waiting for a little while. You'll be able to get to know her better." Drew nodded in agreement. With a smile, he then said,

"Wouldn't that be something? Drew, Adia, and Jade. A family.." He chuckled slightly at the thought.

I laughed. "That would be amazing."

C.G chuckled. "I am glad Kovu and Kylie seem to like me. I just hope I can be a good...mother for them."

Then, there was a sudden exclamation.

"Jack..." Caesarius began. He sounded _terrified_. As if…

Then we saw it. A massive ship had arrived a few miles away.

"Its...Tyromairon...How did he get here?!" Carandial began, sounding just as panicked.

I was confused. Then I remembered, their old leader.

"He's...demanding a meeting with us. He wants to know whose in charge here."

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Anakin, Drew, myself, and a visibly panicked Caesarius walked slowly through the long line of soldiers. They resembled our own soldiers very closely, mostly Libertus and Basileus, but their gray helmets reminded me of the faceless Stormtroopers we had fought against in the Battles with the Galactic Empire.

Then, four figures approached, two Libertus, one Basileus, and one a tall, scarlett scaled reptilian, with a black cloak.

"Mandator Caesarius..." The cloaked figure said, his voice without any hint of emotion.

"Emperor Tyromairon." Caesarius said respectfully.

I looked to this "Tyromairon."

"I am Jack, Emperor of the Dilanian Empire." I introduced myself.

"Ah yes...you impress me. All of you."

He looked to Drew, his eyes staring into Drew's very soul.

"It seems we're lost, and we are setting up a colony. We are here to inform you that we wish to establish diplomatic relations." Drew had his eyes narrowed, visibly suspicious and uncomfortable around this guy.

"What did you have in mind?.." He asked.

"A trade agreement should work, as well as a designated border to prevent _unfortunate_ incidents." Drew didn't like the tone he said that statement in. It gave him chills.

' _Why do we always get the violent ones?..'_ Drew thought.

"I assure you we are not violent, unless provoked, Captain King..." Tyromairon said, smirking, baring sharp, jagged teeth. Drew widened his eyes in shock. Was he _seriously_ being choked _again_!?

"What the fu-" but he was cut off before he could finish.

Tyromairon sighed. "Enough Meketanor."

Another figure, hidden among the troopers, sighed, but stopped choking Drew.

"I assure you are intentions here are not destructive. So long as you remain in your borders, we'll remain in ours."

 **A/N: These characters belong to Cyrannian as I said before! I just got permission to use them!**

With that he turned to Caesarius. "You have made a wise choice for your military advisor, Emperor Jack. I trust he'll serve you well."

With that, Tyromairon turned and returned to the ship.

"Our delegation will meet with you in two days time. " The Basileus declared.

I nodded, and motioned for Drew to follow. Already, Star Destroyers similar in appearance to ours were looming overhead. Though like the Galactic Empire, they were the gray, colorless, faceless enforcers of someone's dark order. Not the blue, glorious symbols of freedom our's were.

After returning home, all three of us felt nervous.

"I swear, why is it that this always happens?! What is with us and bad guys arriving in this desert?!"

"Should we honestly just build a border?" Drew suggested. "Then we could keep track of who enters and who leaves.. It's gotten out of hand!"

I nodded. "Yes. We can track whoever comes in and out. Good idea."

Caesarius stroked his chin. "And we could neutralize them before they present a true threat. Excellent idea. If only we had that before _he_ arrived."

I nodded. "You guys okay?"

"Oh! Just fucking peachy!" Drew sarcastically said. He then added, "Just saying.. choke fetish? Not my thing.."

"I think now _I_ need a xanax. And a drink." Caesarius growled.

"Ah, we warned you."

I rolled my eyes. "Not now Apollo."

"For fucks sake.." Drew complained while pinching the bridge of his nose.

Apollo sighed. "I actually wanted to say that your empire is far better than his. At least you maintain order _and_ liberty at the same time. Most Republic people here consider the Dilanian Empire a symbol of peace and a worthy nation, if only we didn't go to war a few months ago, then maybe we'd be allies now."

He turned to Drew. "You might want to get your neck checked out." Drew put on an annoyed expression and asked,

"For what? It's fine.."

"It's bruised. Just letting you know."

"I think I'm capable of knowing when I need medical attention.. Christ.." Drew started to walk away shaking his head. "Hate that guy.." He muttered. He noticed his neck starting to hurt the more he shook his head.

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"What is it guys?" Kylie asked. Drew, myself and Caesarius returned to the house.

Kylie, Kovu, Adia, the cubs, C.G, and Mufasa were in the front yard.

Mufasa noticed Drew and Caesarius' unease, and spoke in concern. He cocked a brow and asked,

"What has you both so troubled?"

"An old friend who I never wanted to see again." Caesarius sighed.

"A guy who gets a hard on by choking people.." Drew added.

"Gross..." Simba grumbled, furrowing his nose in disgust. Drew smirked and looked at Simba.

"Don't worry, kid. I was just joking! He doesn't really get off on choking people.." He then stood there in silence for a few seconds. "God, I hope he doesn't.." Drew finished while cringing at the thought.

"We have new neighbors." I sighed.

"Who are they?" Kula innocently asked.

"The Cyrannic Empire." I replied. "Not the friendliest group. Their military is enormous by the looks of it. At least they're not like the Galactic Empire though. As far as we can tell."

"And they just now arrived?" Mufasa questioned. Drew nodded and replied,

"Yeah. Probably about an hour or so ago, if even that.." Mufasa nodded in acknowledgment of his answer.

"I just hope they aren't like those jerks that attacked Colossus!" Tama said. Adia sighed.

"I hope not too.. I hate seeing Daddy and everyone risk getting themselves killed.." She then added. "But it's almost always the case.."

Kovu nodded. "Maybe next year will be better?"

"Sounds like what I say every New Years Resolution!" Drew sarcastically commented. He then seriously added, "We can only hope.."

I turned to Drew. "I think we should be ready for any threat. We need to continue our expansion of the Fleet." Mufasa was about to comment, whenever Caesarius contacted me.

"Emperor?" He asked.

I turned on the communicator. "What is it?" Drew noticed this and sighed,

"Let me guess.. Someone else showed up?"

"Yes, it appears to be a human-like creature just as you are, but.." Caesarius paused.

"But what?" Drew questioned, him and I intently listening.

"He appears to be dressed as a bat!.." I widened my eyes at this. Drew cocked a brow.

"A bat?.." Drew questioned. "It just keeps getting weirder and weirder.."

I nodded. "Looks like we have to find this out." Drew nodded.

"I guess so.." He turned to everyone. "We'll be right back. We got us a 'bat' to deal with.. Mufasa, watch the cubs." Mufasa nodded and said,

"Will do."

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 **Drew's POV**

We can just _never_ catch a fucking break can we? That's exactly why we need a border around our Empire.. Jack and I walked to where Caesarius explained where he spotted the bat, and sure enough, there he was!

He was surrounded by our men at gunpoint.

"Don't you move!" A soldier said. "You're gonna stay here until Emperor Jack gets here, then we'll find out where you stand!" The bat didn't respond, but took something out of his utility belt under the cloaking of his cape.

"OH SHI-" the soldier screamed, but was cut off as the bat threw down smoke pellets. Sounds of gunfire went off, but I noticed the bat use what looked like a _grappling hook_ to escape atop a nearby tree. Me and Jack both looked on in shock.

"Did you just see that?.." I asked, still in awe.

Jack nodded, his mouth agape. Out of whatever bullets they had, the soldiers took out their combat knives and prepared for melee battle. The bat surprisingly glided down from the tree and kicked one of our men to the ground. They had the bat surrounded, but he was still determined.

"Wait!" Jack cried. The soldiers turned their attention to Jack, but that's exactly the slip up the bat was waiting for! He swept a soldier to the ground and then knocked another out with one punch. The soldiers were taken by surprise but moved forward to attack. One tried to stab the bat, but he deflected his arm and elbowed him in the head, knocking him unconscious. He then hopped on top of another one's shoulders and wrapped his legs around his neck. A soldier charged at the bat atop the man, but the bat then flipped him over, causing the soldier's legs to knock the charging one unconscious.

It raged on for another minute! He swiftly countered and avoided all their attacks and knocked them all unconscious with relative ease! He seemed to know quite a lot when it came to hand-to-hand combat! There were two left, and they wildly swung their knives at the bat. Seeing this coming, he dodged and grabbed both of their heads, smashing them together and knocking them out! There lay our soldiers, defeated.. And at the hands of this bat!

Jack was in the middle of raising his rifle, before he lowered it. "Who _are_ you?!" The bat glanced at Jack, and briefly replied,

"I'm Batman.." He then walked a bit closer towards us. "Where am I!?" He demanded. "How did I get here!?" This Batman, then grabbed Jack by the shirt. "Are you with Hugo Strange!? With Lex Luthor!? Who is it!?" Drew then interjected,

"Woah! Batman, let him go! We're not working for anybody, alright!? Just let me explain.." Batman then let go of Jack.

"Make it quick. I want answers!" I did just as I did with everyone else who came here, though a bit quicker this time, as to not piss him off too much. "And that's basically it.. We currently haven't found a way to return outside of this 'Nexus'. All we know is we're stuck here.." Batman looked down as if in thought. He looked back up at me and Jack and replied,

"You say we're stuck here? Have you put all your best scientific minds together to find a solution?"

"Yes. Actually. We have. Nothing has worked." Jack replied. "We don't mean any harm. We're the good guys here." Batman sighed.

"Forgive me.. I was just being careful. Who are you?"

"I'm Drew King." I answered. "Captain of the _INS Cobain_ of the Imperial Navy, and part of the Dilanian Empire." Batman rose a brow of interest.

"A commander of a military? Very notable.." He then looked at Jack. "I don't remember there being an 'Imperial Navy' back where I come from, _or_ a 'Dilanian Empire'.. This Nexus must be interdimensional.."

Jack nodded. "As far as we can tell, yes. Though we've only discovered one other dimension in this Nexus, there may be more."

"Allow me to help." Batman said. "I have one of the greatest scientific minds there is, and can help each one of you return home.."

Jack nodded. "Thank you."

He paused, before continuing. "Come, let's get back to our capital. We will show you to your temporary quarters."

"I still didn't catch your name.." Batman said, still a little on guard.

"Jack. Anderson. Pleasure to meet you..." Batman merely nodded.

"Show me the way to your capital.." Batman said. He then seriously and grimly added, "But I'll still be keeping my eye on you.."

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 **No POV**

A clone looked out the viewport of his Captured Imperial Star destroyer as the last rebel ships had jumped into hyperspace...a storm of green and a few ionized blue shots following them...courtesy of the 2 Imperial Star Destroyers and 4 Arquitens Cruisers that had just arrived, Rexy then looked as the ships of his fleet began to be shot at...their heavily modified shields having no problem at all to deal with the fire as he then turned on a holo com...the images of various clones, A few B1s,BX Commandos, Tactical and a Super Tactical droid appeared as he ordered,

"All ships! Our work is done here! Prepare to make the jump on my mark! 3...2...1... ALL SHIPS JUMP!" Rexy ordered.

Suddenly just as all the ships on fleet prepared to jump...a large Black Hole formed in front of the fleet as Rexy's eyes widened as the communications channels bursted in panicked chatter as he said

"What is that?! Analysis report!"

The super Tactical Droid hologram looked at the other droid holograms as he said,

"General...according to our calculations... it seems to be a interdimensional portal..."

Rexy's eyes widened as he ordered the jumps to be cancelled but it was too late...the fleet was being accompanied by lots of CR90 Corvettes and even more Consular class-light cruisers...not to mention the 20 or so Arquitens that were the main ships of the escort fleet...when all these small ships made the jump...they were sucked into the portal...Further intensifying it as it somehow began to suck the ex Separatist and larger Republic _Aclammators_ and _Victories,_ and the _venators_ in...Rexy just watched in shock as he nodded to the crew and looked at the portal. "May the force be with us..."

With that said...the captured _Imperial Star Destroyer_ jumped to hyperspace and into the Black Hole and joined its fleet as the portal closed behind them...then soon later the large amount of ships was out of hyperspace...above of a vast desert that looked quite similar to the one on Tatooine...as Rexy looked at the holograms they all asked the same question...

"General...where are we?"

Rexy didn't hesitate to immediately command his men….giving out orders as the fleet quickly regrouped itself and organized itself.

"Contact the rest of the fleet! Tell them to regroup in this location!"

Another clone trooper just nodded as a large Mandator 2 and 2 very old looking Mandator 1s arrived followed by various Republic and Separatist ship types the fleet being organized in a Defensive formation...as to let others know that they were not a threat, suddenly Rexy noticed that weirdly painted versions of Imperial 1st class Star Destroyers were closing in...as he immediately ordered, "They are here too! All ships! Defensive positions! MAN YOUR BATTLE STATIONS! MAN YOUR BATTLE STATIONS! DO NOT! I REPEAT DO NOT FIRE UNLESS FIRED UPON!"

The blue-painted Star Destroyer moved towards the fleet, before stopping.

"This is Captain King of the _INS Cobain_! Who the fuck are you? State yourselves!" Drew said, protectively of the Empire. With what has happened as of late, he didn't like the sight of these newcomers, nor their ship.

About 25 or so holograms began to appear in the holoprojector...of which about half where droids and the other half seemed to be men all of the same size and exact width...looking at them...they all seemed to have various types of armors and mixes..some resembled the stormtrooper armor...others looked like if they were derived from the Stormtrooper armor Drew had seen in the battles.

Seems they were discussing..as one of the bulkier looking droids said to a trooper who seemed to be the leader "According to our calculations...their designation does not fits with any unit in the Imperial Navy we are against….the probability of this being a different faction is one of 97.56 percent"

The leader trooper then looked at Drews hologram as he said "My designation is CT-6769 but im named Rexy….General in the Grand Army of the Republic and these are my men and droid friends...Allies of the Rebellion...and the bravest men and droids in my faction….nicknamed "The Good Clankers and Traitors" and I would like to know who's your government's leader! From what I suspect! You are allied with the Galactic Empire! You got their ships!" Drew sat there with his eyes widened.

"Um.. Okay, I can sense that there was a lot of numbers and math in some of what you just said, but I can assure you we're _not_ allied with the Galactic Empire! We actually just fought those bastards not too long ago! Our Empire wants them gone, not to get stronger.." Drew replied.

The holograms looked at each other...as one of those bulky droids got up...as it looked at the droid who had spoken earlier...who seemed to be even more advanced "According to my sensors and calculations they are a 99.99 percent true…."

The more advanced droid would look at a very skinny droid who looked at the trooper as the skinny droid said "Rexy….STD-5634 and me...B1-268 calculate that according to the info provided by TD-24 we should get in contact with the other members of this new government.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 **Jack's POV**

I walked alongside Princess Leia and those who had rescued her as well as Anakin.

"So you're SERIOUS?!"

I chuckled. It turns out Anakin had a son and daughter.

The Armor-clad figure's uncharacteristically high pitched(well, as high as his voice could go in that suit) voice was comical.

"Yes." Obi-Wan said, smiling slightly.

Anakin sighed. "You know Obi-Wan, I could have REALLY used that information when I was in that Vader phase."

Obi-Wan groaned. "Vader _PHASE?!_ "

I rolled my eyes. "Anyway! Princess, who are these people? Can we trust them?"

Leia nodded. "Yes. They've helped us out on numerous occasions."

Finally, we reached the meeting room. Drew and Carandial led a trooper who seemed to be the famous Rexy Leia had told us about, a Bulky looking droid along with another trooper while Rexy's other higher ups waited outside.

President Kennedy and Apollo joined us, as well as, to everyone else's surprise, Potentate Aeresius of the Cyrannic Empire.

I nodded diplomatically.

"Welcome honored representatives of the Rebel Alliance, Cyrannic Empire, and Grand Army of the Republic." Apollo began. "We have come here today to discuss the ongoing conflict against the Galactic Empire and the possibility of the Cyrannic Empire entering the war-"

Aeresisus interjected. "Do not think that we enter your conflict out of the goodness of our hearts. We simply do not wish to face an invasion by another power should you all fail." Drew rolled his eyes.

"Oh _here_ we go.. Apollo number 2 over here.." He commented.

Both Apollo and Aeresius blinked. " _As_ I was saying..." Apollo said. "We are here to discuss the possibility of a coalition against the Galactic Empire, the subsequent dismantling of it, and the restoration of the Galactic Republic to power there."

Rexy and the other trooper took off their helmets...only to reveal they shared the same face.

I blinked in surprise. "Clones?" I asked.

Rexy smiled as he said "Yes we are clones...Born and trained since Birth to fight and die for the Republic. Well, once we were. Anyways, my faction has helped the Rebels for a long time now. But unfortunately, the clandestine shipments of Kuat Drive Yards and Rothana Heavy Engineering aren't enough if I wish to expand my operations. I request the permission and access to your Government's factories. I can give you all the designs and tech I possess, in exchange of the permission to produce them in your factories. Also, after the disbanding of the clone army, The Kaminoan's economy has dropped drastically, and they asked me to offer you all their clone army services, and trust me: we are the best there is. The Kaminoans are experts at making troopers. They have made a Serum that once the trooper reaches adulthood, his growth rate is slowed down drastically, further increasing the survivability of the troops. STD-546 will point out a few potential allies as well."

"According to my calculations. We recently located 3 expert clones that also ignored protocol 66. And a Super Tactical droid who knows alot about the location of the remnants and main factories of the droid army….thanks to a rebel cell near Lothal. But we also found someone who General Rexy and I calculate that Anakin and Obi-Wan will remember very well."

Anakin nodded. "He's still alive? And what about Ahsoka?"

Aeresius stroked his chin. "This is all very interesting, but do any of you actually know what it takes to win a war? Apollo obviously didn't, and judging by your words, none of you do either." Drew then looked agitated and yelled,

"Listen here, asshole! We've had our fair share of conflicts around here, and we've even kept the Galactic Empire at bay! We know how to fight, and we certainly know how to win a war!"

Aeresius just smirked. "You would do well to not provoke us, boy. Perhaps we will _ally_ with the Galactic Empire should you treat us with disrespect." Drew had a smirk of his own.

"What're you gonna do? Choke me? Wouldn't be the first time.. And I think it would be _very_ unwise to do that when we have Kratos on our side.."

Aeresius scowled. "Your arrogance is your weakness. If we wanted war with you, we wouldn't _need_ a ground battle."

"Enough!" Apollo interjected. "We're here as _allies_ , Potentate! And you'd be very wrong if you think we're defenseless. With people like Captain King and Caesarius on our side, we're more then capable of defeating your Empire!" Drew looked at Apollo with slight shock, but said nothing.. He was actually taking his side for once.

Rexy and the other clone looked at him as Rexy nodded at the droid...as it showed a holovid of a clone trooper squad and a few droids along with a droideika dealing with hordes of stormtroopers while civilians where boarding in a shuttle as a clone said,

"Hawker, come in."

The clone in the vid leading the squad shook his head as he said "Get those people out of here! We will delay the enemy!"

As the vid continued it showed each clone die one by one as eventually...only Hawker and the droideika remained and eventually..they fell along too as Rexy said "They were my friends….and I'd like to see you single handedly do what they did…"

Kennedy nodded. "The point is we all don't want the Galactic Empire here. I propose that we join this alliance, for the good of us all."

"The Rebellion will accept this alliance." Princess Leia declared.

Aeresius stopped for a few moments, before nodding. "Very well, we'll join this alliance, though the Cyrannic Empire will fight under its own leaders. We'll coordinate, but not follow your orders."

Rexy looked at Jack as he asked "So do you accept my offer for tech in exchange of access to your production lines?"

I nodded. "We will give you industrial support, and allow the restoration of the Galactic Republic."

I turned to everyone. "Welcome to the Grand Alliance."

 **Dinolion92: We hope you enjoyed this chapter! It was a fun one to write! Also, welcome TheAcePilotKing! He helped us write this scene and will be a co writer for this project!**

 **ThatAcePilotKing: Hello everyone! For those to whom my ocs Rexy seems familiar you know me as Blackie the Umbreon and B1-268 the good clanker. But yes! I now have officially joined on this amazing project of a fic! And I'm very glad to be here!**

 **Dinolion92: Yes, I would like to say that if anyone else wants to join this project, let me know, and we'll try to make it work! That said, this is only the beginning. We hope you enjoy where the story goes from this point on.**


	10. Chapter 10, The Die is Cast

**Drew's POV**

I was quiet. Cassarius and I entered the Pridelands, both of us silent. I could tell the Libertus was frustrated, but he was doing a good job of containing it.

To put it bluntly, we had a problem. A lioness had hunted a citizen. And now Jack had sent the two of us to deal with it. Carandial was furious, and had gotten into an argument with Palenix about the whole concept of justice here. Afterall, crime was near non-existent, and this would be the first test of our justice system.

As we approached the pride, it looked tranquil, serenely peaceful. Cubs were playing, lionesses were basking in the sun. It was calm.

Caesarius took a deep breath. "We need to talk." He said firmly, loud enough for the lionesses to hear. That caught the attention of several. "Where is King Mufasa?" He asked, in a slightly calmer tone. The lionesses all stood up and one of them replied,

"The King is out attending with other matters.. Is there something you need?"

Caesarius nodded. "Where is the lioness Akase? We must speak with her." They all cocked a brow.

"Why is that? If I may ask?" The same lioness questioned.

Caesarius sighed. "She hunted one of our citizens, violating our laws on murder, and we are here to...sort things out. She _must_ stand trial for breaking a law."

He avoided eye contact, _quite_ uncomfortable by the looks of it. The lionesses gapsed in what looked like shock.

"Oh no!" She said. "Did she not eat her prey!?" I widened my eyes. Such a strange question..

Caesarius cocked a brow. "She did. Regardless, that still is considered murder. Your king agreed to follow our laws as long as he stayed here."

He then added. "None of you are in trouble, we simply must learn her location, so we can proceed with her trial."

"But why is she in trouble!?" She questioned. "We did nothing wrong! We were only following the Circle Of Life!"

"Circle Of- what?.." I questioned with a risen brow.

"The Circle Of Life!" The lioness explained. "It is where you have utmost respect for all the creatures: from the crawling ant, to the leaping antelope! It is where if prey are lucky enough to escape their prey, then they were skilled enough to do so, and were destined for another purpose the Great Kings set for them! If they didn't… then it was meant to be. We were taught that as cubs! Everyone in the pride has learned of the Circle Of Life, even the cubs!"

Caesarius stopped. "That may be the way you are brought up...but that is not the way of doing things here. Mufasa himself agreed to follow our laws, and he should have made it clear to you that an act like this will _not_ go over well with the rest of our citizenry. Your circle of life may be what you were taught as cubs, but have you ever considered that not everyone lived that way? We told our citizens that you could each be trusted, that you, under no circumstances would harm them. How are we to justify this?"

The lioness countered,

"We _need_ food! There were no antelope grazing nearby, so-" She was cut off.

"Our food was proven to be safe to eat. Jack and Drew's cubs have eaten it, and neither of them have gotten sick once. We would have been happy to bring a herd from outside in if you only asked. Why didn't you?"

"But we and our cubs _have_ gotten sick! We can't eat what comes out of that thing!" She argued. "It has to be that of a natural hunt! We were hungry and the cubs were complaining. We couldn't find any of you, so we did what had to be done.. Akase was the one who got the kill."

Well I mean it made sense.. Sure a libertus died, but- Jesus I'm gonna sound morbid! That's how they were taught! That's where they came from! Our government wasn't there to help them, so they acted out on instinct!

Caesarius stopped.

I noticed him narrow his eyes.

"I understand that is your culture. But that was _not_ the answer. What I am doing is trying to help you. Our citizenry _will_ find this out, and they will be out for blood. We are constantly trying to find problems with the food supply, and we were actually bringing a fresh shipment, tested to be completely safe, when this hunt occurred. Had you waited ten more minutes, an innocent girl wouldn't not have been butchered. "

I could tell how upset he was getting. It was actually amazing how he was keeping calm.

"What if it was one of your cubs who was killed, and devoured by one of our's?" He then asked. "Or if it was Kylie or Kovu? Do you honestly think the Emperor would, even for a second care for your circle of life?" The lionesses gasped in shock, their eyes widened. Even now the cubs were watching. I could tell they were getting scared.

That ain't right..

I turned to Caesarius and pointed out,

"Knock it off, Caesarius! Talking about their family like that in front of the cubs is _not_ right!"

He turned to me. "Are you justifying their crime?"

"Excuse me?.." I asked with a chuckle. It wasn't a friendly chuckle, that was one of anger building up.

He looked like he was ready to continue, before, a voice said.

"Enough."

Turning, I saw Jack approaching. "Drew, I am ashamed to say this, but as a sentient being, how could you be so callous? Same with you Caesarius. This is their culture, their history. I don't condone what they did, but neither one of you are giving the correct answer."

Jack walked forward. "We must speak with Mufasa. An agreement must be reached if peace is to remain." As if on cue, the sound of a voice was heard.

"Jack! Drew! Caesarius!" The voice called. It was Mufasa! He was coming back from wherever he was at. He stopped in front of us and his smile faded when he noticed our troubled expressions. "Is there something wrong?" He asked curiously.

Jack sighed. "There was a miscommunication. I thought we had explained that there was to be no hunting of humans, libertus, basileus, or mortalitas here. I understand you were desperate, but we had fixed the problem, and it arrived not long after...the incident." The King sighed.

"We didn't _know_ that.." He said. "For all we know you could've been gone all day! Our cubs were hungry and so were we.. We acted on instinct. Just as we did in the Pridelands.."

Jack looked to the cubs, and back to the king.

"Mufasa..." He began. "I _cannot_ tolerate this. I am sorry. But word has gotten out, and my soldiers are the only thing standing between this kingdom and a riot right now. Do not make me fire on my own people. I beg you." Mufasa looked a bit guilty, but still stood strong.

"I'm sorry too.." He said. "But I _will_ not let one of my own get in trouble for something they have been doing their entire life! It's how we lions live.."

Jack looked at him blankly.

Then, a gunshot rang out.

It barely missed Mufasa, who jumped back in shock.

Jack turned, and fired his own pistol, hitting the would be assassin.

It...was the girl's mother. I widened my eyes in absolute shock!

"Holy _shit_!" I yelled.

When Jack realized that, he collapsed to the ground. "Dad..."

Mufasa turned, to see Simba looking up at him. "I… Kovu told me they are really good. Akase will be able to come back in a year-"

He was cut off.

"Simba!" Sarabi yelled. "How could you even _say_ such a thing!? Lions only live for about 12 years! That's a large portion of her life torn away from her.."

Simba blinked. Then his expression changed. "It was wrong...what Akase did. We came here, and they trusted us, accepted us. If I were king, I'd follow the will of my Emperor. He has to protect everyone. Not just us."

"Son.." Mufasa softly, yet sternly began. "What have I told you about The Circle Of Life? Have you forgotten what the Great Kings set forth for all of us?.."

"That we must respect all life. And we haven't been very respectful to our fellow Imperials." Simba countered.

"But we have been! There are just certain things that we must do to survive, Simba.. There were no antelopes to be seen correct? We couldn't find anyone else. We _had_ no choice, Son.."

"No...we didn't have to do that." He said simply. "There was a herd not far from the fence. I got permission from some soldiers to open the gate for you to hunt. You had a choice. And you made the wrong one." The pride was starting to look a bit agitated at the Prince.

"We had no way of knowing that!" Mufasa rose his voice. "Would you rather we took the chance of starving to death? We had to think about everyone's well being!"

"So does Emperor Jack!" Simba yelled. "I _saw_ who he's fighting to protect us from! We _saw_ the Galactic Empire first hand! And Adia and Kovu and Admiral Palenix protected us! You were here watching from a safe distance, while someone we had just _met_ risked his life to protect us." Mufasa roared.

"Enough!" He snapped, startling everyone. "Son, I love you, but this place has corrupted your mind! Why did we have to be sent to this place? Why!?" Mufasa asked to the sky in anger.

"I was born here! Because you decided to take Jack's offer!" Simba cried back.

"I am an Imperial, not a Pridelander." He then declared softly. And with that, he ran to Jack, who was too thunderstruck to react. Mufasa then sighed in sadness.

"The Great Kings have forsaken us.." He muttered. "The way we once lived is now too far gone.. The Pridelands is no more. So what is my purpose?.." I looked in shock as I thought I saw a _tear_ fall down his muzzle. He immediately tried to hide it, but couldn't..

Jack got up. "Your purpose should be to do what you can for your pride. You're not the only ones who gave up everything they've ever known. _Everyone_ here is in the exact same place you are. As king, you must uphold your laws. As Emperor, I must uphold mine. I will not harm you, but I _can't_ allow this kind of act in our Empire."

"And I _have_ upholded my laws!" Mufasa snapped again. "The Circle Of Life _is_ our laws! Don't you see?..."

"And our laws are as sacred to us as your's." Jack responded. "Why should we try to understand your laws if you refuse to understand our's?"

"That's like _us_ having a law saying that you are by no means allowed to have a military force! What's the _point_ if they're just gonna be swept aside anyway?"

Jack walked up. "I've let you follow your own laws. I have been tolerant of your culture. I have done everything you requested. But I _can't_ allow that."

He then looked down.

"Fine… I will give her immunity. But if this happens again, there will be a trial."

Jack then looked to Simba. "And you owe your son an apology. He is allowed to have his own ideas, and as a parent, you need to accept that." Mufasa cocked a brow.

"Are you telling me how to raise _my_ son!?.."

Jack's response was immediate. "No..." He said curtly, starting to get annoyed. "But I will not allow you to force your ideas on him. Every child is allowed their own right to think."

"And if we were never _transported_ here, none of us would have to _worry_ about any other laws! Your laws are obscure and make no sense to us."

Jack froze. "And your laws are outdated and barbaric. Be thankful it wasn't Kylie who you hunted, I wouldn't have _bothered_ with this discussion." Mufasa cocked a brow and said,

"Oh? And is that a show of favoritism?.. What makes this girl's life any less valuable than her's? Answer me that.."!

Jack froze. He walked up to Mufasa, and said lowly. "Because she is my _daughter_. No amount of laws will protect _anyone_ if they hurt my daughter or son. To me, her and Kovu are more valuable than any other lives in this universe." Mufasa shot back,

"And I understand that! As a father myself I feel the same! But the Circle Of Life made it so that we had something to _eat_! The Great Kings chose her path.."

"Then why do you think her mother didn't have a right to take revenge? A life for a life? And no, _you_ chose her path. She was told, like _every_ citizen here to not fear your kind. That you would never hunt her. And she paid the price for your betrayal of that trust." Mufasa growled in annoyance and turned around, beginning to walk off.

"It's useless! Like talking to a warthog's ass!" He cursed.

Jack was silent.

"I have to uphold my laws. If Akase will not be handed over, then she will be taken by force. As will any who resist."

With that, Jack turned, and began to head off. "And the same to you! Try considering other people might live differently, you sanctimonious fool."

"No such thing will happen!" Mufasa yelled. Akase and _everyone_ is coming with us! We're leaving! We will not stand for this!"

Jack stopped. "Tranquilizers only. No harm to the cubs." He whispered.

" _Only_ Akase." He added.

Simba looked from his pride, to Jack, and then began following the Emperor. He looked enraged, his little eyes burning with fury.

Then, a squad of soldiers rushed in, and opened fire with tranquilizer guns. I widened my eyes in shock and gasped.

"What the _fuck_!" I yelled.

Jack ignored me, simply walking off, Simba following without so much as a second glance. So much for loyalty.. Even Caesarius looked stunned, before he to began following.

I turned, and the pride all lay on the ground, knocked out.

To my surprise, I saw Nala following in Jack's direction, while the other cubs ran from the soldiers in fear.

Then, I saw some soldiers lifting Akase onto a gurney, while leaving the rest of the pride where they slept. A shipment of food was placed nearby, though it seemed that new security codes were being erected on the gates, preventing them from entering or exiting the city. I ran after the soldiers.

Jack stopped, and looked to me. I saw pain in his eyes, but he didn't stop. As Nala followed after Caesarius, the gate closed.

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 **Jack's POV**

I led the cubs through the protesting crowd. Signs like "justice for our daughter!" were everywhere, and the soldiers were struggling to keep the protesters from entering the Pridelands.

Caesarius was silent. He still seemed angry with the whole idea, but he wasn't saying anything.

"Jack!"

I turned to see Drew rushing after us.

"Stop!" He yelled.

I turned. "What is it? You _know_ I have to enforce the laws that we drafted. I made it abundantly clear that hunting was not to be tolerated." I cocked a brow.

"And what about your promise of _immunity_!?" Everyone went silent, and began to listen. "Was that a lie!?"

I looked at him. "I was going to let this slide, but they refused that offer as well."

He turned to the civilians. "I will not run an empire where children are forced to walk with a _gun_ to defend themselves from their own people who want to eat them. You know as well as that I had pinpointed the error in the food. Soldiers confirmed Simba had found a herd of antelope. Why did that little girl have to die?"

"They didn't _fucking_ know that at the time!" Drew yelled to where everyone could hear.

Drew looked at him dangerously. "That is no excuse. Had they waited a few more minutes, this wouldn't have happened. Mufasa _agreed_ to follow our laws, and he paid the price for his perfidy."

"Yeah?" Drew asked getting annoyed. "Well desperate times call for desperate measures! I'm not saying it was 100% right, but dammit that's how they were raised! They can't just live life one way and then a different way the next! It's hard for them to adjust!"

"So you would eat Kylie if you were hungry? Real great philosophy. _Nothing_ about that was right! And I don't care if they were raised that way! If someone was raised on the idea that Americans were evil and deserved to be bombed, or that human sacrifice was well and fine, you wouldn't be so forgiving." Drew looked on in seething anger.

' _How dare he claim I would do something like that to Kylie!?'_ Drew angrily thought.

I walked up to him. "You're seriously _justifying_ allowing one citizen to fucking _eat_ another?!"

"This was _wrong_ Drew. It doesn't matter if they were raised like that! It was wrong! I gave them chance after chance to hand her over, and they refused. Justice _has_ to be served, whether you like it or not. She will be put on trial, and if found innocent, will be allowed to go, and if found guilty will serve a _month_ in the least secure prison! I'm _reducing_ the sentence far beyond what is even justified! Why can't you grasp that!?"

"This is _bullshit_!" Drew spat. "If they said they wanted to leave, then why not let them _leave_!? All of them! Then you won't have to worry about it!"

"See how they survive in the territory of the predators we have here. I won't allow their cubs to be butchered by the _monsters_ we have here." Drew took a deep breath and sighed.

"That's their cubs.. You can't just force them to stay here if they don't want them to! That's like someone forcing Adia to stay somewhere she didn't want to be!"

I looked him dead in the eye. "I have an obligation to protect every child here. If a child is in danger, by negligence or abuse, you're damn right I will stop them."

I then screamed. "Why is this justified?! Why can't you grasp that what they did was cruel, barbaric, and wrong?!"

I turned. "You're _proposing_ a society where a citizen can _eat_ another with impunity. Real nice idea." Drew gritted his teeth and flipped me off.

" _Fuck_ you!" He snarled.

I turned. "So, after all the good times, you just up and quit? Just like that? You're pathetic. Go ahead, go with them! I don't give a _flying fuck_! But their cubs are staying here, where they will be safe and protected."

"Y'know.." Drew started. "You sound _just_ like a weird, backassed version of my father!" He looked me dead in the eye and reminded, "I _hated_ my father!"

I froze. "You had to fucking go there?!" I seethed. "Arrest him!" I said.

Soldiers then knocked Drew out with their rifles before he had a chance to fight back.

I knelt down. "You and your friends can leave. But not without a little parting gift."

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I stood over the podium, my government around me, and Kenzi and Adia at the side.

"For the crimes of murder and collusion..." I began. As I spoke, Adia, Kenzi, and even Jade stood there with slight disdain. Jade shook her head and whispered to them, unheard of to me,

"Who does this 'Emperor' think he is? He is _no_ different than Shao Kahn.."

"That's a lie and you know it, girl!" Tector Decimius, who stood nearby, snapped. "You justify eating a child?" Jade pulled out her bow staff in anger, ready to decapitate him.

"You _cannot_ change a Tarkata!" She gave an analogy I didn't quite understand. "If that is their nature, then they will act upon it!"

Then, three soldiers aimed their rifles. "Join them then." One said. "Child-Killer." Another muttered.

I held up my hand, motioning for silence.

"You will be exiled from the Dilanian Empire. And if you ever return, you will be met with imprisonment."

I looked to Drew. "I didn't want to do this, but your actions forced my hand. I wish there was another way, but alas, the will of the Great Kings is absolute, as you told me, _false_ king Mufasa." Drew chuckled in anger.

"Ooh, I'm _real_ fucking scared! _Imprisonment_!" He taunted. "Why don't you just _kill_ me and get it over with!?" Everyone looked on in shock, especially Kenzi, Adia, and Jade.

"Because I would like to remember the time I trusted you. Before you sided with those baby killing savages!" I snapped.

"This is more mercy than scum like you deserve." I added. "If you provoke us in anyway from this point on, the situation will be out of my hands."

Then, the _Cobain_ hyperspaced over the capital. "I will destroy you with the very ship that I was kind to give to you." Drew smirked wickedly.

"Then _do_ it!" There was silence. "Do it you, _pussy_! You don't have the guts!"

Suddenly, he was lifted from the air, by Tyromairon. He dropped him at my feet.

I looked down at him. I pulled out my pistol, and shot him in the leg.

"That was just a warning." Drew winced in absolute pain, gritting his teeth. Adia gasped and yelled,

"Daddy!" Jade looked at the sight, and at Adia's evident fear. That actually really pissed her off! Kenzi was crying a stream of tears.

"Y- You're a _monster_!" He got out.

Jack then grabbed him by the shirt, and threw him from the platform.

"Do not test me!" I snarled as he fell.

I then looked down at him. "At least he is not a baby killer like _Mufasa_." Simba yelled, placing emphasis on the word. That actually made Drew shed a tear. The very _thought_ of a child turning on their own parent, it was terrifying!

Nala nodded in agreement. "Or _Sarafina_."

The way they said those words was a knife to the heart of the Pridelanders.

Tyromairon stepped forward. "That goes for the Cyrannic Empire. We will enforce our allies' laws. You're no better than _Palpatine_."

I grinned wickedly. "Now…take them to the Badlands. Let them know what it's like to live without Imperial protection." Drew widened his eyes as a couple Imperial soldiers lifted him up to take him there. The same happened with the Pridelanders. Even Jade shared the same fate. She knocked a couple guards out, before a soldier shot her in the leg with live ammunition. She screamed in absolute pain! She hadn't felt anything like it since she was from her original home. Drew glared daggers at us as the soldiers continued to drag him away. He saw Jade fall and scream in pain.

"Long live the sovereign Emperor!" Someone yelled. Then a torrent of cheers and the same words followed. A couple soldiers then picked Jade up and carried her off as well. She tried to fight back, but was quickly subdued once more. They pointed a gun at her head and threatened death.

"Long live the Dilanian Empire!" I yelled.

I turned to Kenzi and Adia.

"If you wish to go with him, I will not stop you." Adia immediately ran off in their direction.

"Daddy!" She yelled in fear, chasing after her father.

"I-" Kenzi began, seemingly deep in thought. "I can't go! I can't agree with Drew on this one! I love him to death, but it's not right!" She then glared daggers at me, however. "But shooting him was _wrong_! I hope you know that!.."

I responded curtly. "Yes, I do. But their crime was far worse." I said dangerously.

"Wait!" Apollo suddenly cried. He joined them. "I will not stand for this tyranny!" He cried. "I choose them."

He joined the group, followed by a visibly distraught Emily and Luis, and several Republic officers and soldiers.

I didn't speak.

"Traitors..." Simba muttered.

Kovu looked at the younger cub, getting a little uncomfortable. He didn't respond though. He knew he should though. What the pride did was awful, but this was _ungodly_ overboard.

Kylie, meanwhile, looked at Drew with pained fury. C.G was visibly stressed, but Ethan was angry as well. Joel and Hera looked blankly at the scene, while Owen watched with contempt. Then, someone else joined them.

"Rot in hell you tyrant." Siriulilus snapped, before joining the larger group. I noticed that he had something in his pocket, but decided against mentioning it. I owed him that much.

Finally, the ship that would carry them ascended into the atmosphere, before finally hyperspacing into the distance.

I felt a single tear fall from my eye.

 _You were my brother once. I will never forget what you did. But I cannot forgive this act._

Then, it hit me.

The realization what I had just done.

"It's my fault..." I muttered.

Everyone in earshot gawked at me. Some with expressions of surprise, and others with a look of "no shit!"

"No!" A soldier cried, followed by dozens of affirmative yells.

"No! It's _all_ my fault. It is entirely my fault-"

"No!"

I looked around. "I will never forget you, brother..." I whispered. I could see Kenzi looking at me with a mix of rage and… surprise.

I turned. "Whatever happens, we must not let this mistake repeat. You hear me? We are more _civilized_ than this… If we see him again… do nothing…. I will deal with it."

I turned, and walked off.

I looked at the Imperial banner fluttering overhead.

"Kennedy, call in a meeting tomorrow."

With that, I walked off, feeling emotionally broken.

 **Dinolion92: This is the point of no return. The die has been cast.**

 **LionKingIsAwesome: Yep! Shit is really starting to hit the fan now, huh!? What will happen to Drew, Jade, Adia, the Pride, as well as the ones who followed suit!? Guess y'all will have to find out next time!**

 **Dinolion92: Indeed, the reason I changed this is simple. Jack was evil to the core in that scene. Here, he is angry, conflicted, and becoming the very thing he vowed to destroy. We hope you enjoyed this chapter, and cannot wait until next time!**


	11. Chapter 11, Aftermath

**Jack's POV**

I was silent as I began the walk to the fence. I needed some time to relax. All these events had changed everything. Drew, my brother, had betrayed us.

I was cut off when I heard someone yell,

"WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" Joel screamed at the top of his lungs throwing a punch at me.

I reeled back from the shock. Then, I glared daggers at him.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you... " I snarled.

Then, I felt a small, stab in my back. The tip of a knife had just barely pressed against my back.

I froze.

Hera whispered in my ear. "If you ever harm another person again unjust I will kill you without a second thought.

Then, I grinned. "That will _cost_ you, you bitch."

Suddenly, she was lifted into the air, gasping for air.

Joel's eyes widened.

I stole a glance. Anakin stood there, his lightsaber activated.

"Shall I end this women's pathetic life?" He asked.

I stopped. "No. Send them to the Badlands. And burn her plant collection the ground..."

I then looked her straight in the eye. "I won't show you this mercy again. Threaten me, and I'll make you suffer for it."

I nodded to Anakin.

"Break her leg. Same with Joel. Leave them for the raptors."

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 **No POV**

Where were they? It seemed to be some type of desert planet. But it made no sense. They seemed to have just appeared here. A heavily armored humanoid figure marched forward, looking over the savannah before them, then back to her peer, very different in appearance to her. He was human, more or less, but looked as though all the skin had been stripped off his body, and what remained had rotted, leaving his muscles blackened in appearance. His remaining eye, scanned the area, as he shrugged to her.

"I have no clue where we are. Perhaps, we should get a GPS?" He stated.

She removed her helmet, taking a deep breath in, as she scanned the dry area. Her reptilian eyes narrowed as she looked around, before turning to one of the many warriors gathered behind her.

"You, Chieftain. I need your warriors." She said, placing her helmet under her right arm.

The being stepped forward, large, with grey scales, a large crest, and numerous quills on the back of his head, his long, bird-like jaws filled with teeth, and his forearms ending in completely massive hands. Had he felt like it, the creature could've grabbed her with his single clawed hand and lifted her above his head.

"Yesss, my queen?" He asked, bow slightly, and averting his eyes.

"I need to know where we are exactly, and, failing that, food and water for our colonists and warriors." She said. "Your people have always been the greatest trackers. I entrust you with this task."

"We shall take to the hunt." The Chieftain hissed rising again, and bringing out a great staff, that ended in a spear tip that buzzed with electrical energy.

"Good luck." She said.

He turned and made a series of clicking and hissing sounds, as several of his warriors broke off from the horde of alien warriors, and charged off into the scrub and trees. She shifted her weight, as her armored plates clicked slightly, before turning back to the human.

"Any theories, Phase?" She asked.

"Kinda looks like Africa." Phase said, scratching his chin. "I was there once, a few centuries back when I had my beautiful face full of skin."

He indicated his putrid facial features, as she nodded slightly. "Then how did we end up in another galaxy entirely?"

He shrugged. "No clue. This will probably get me killed. My kind back home don't exactly like me. Several-thousand-bounties-on-my-head don't like me."

She put her helmet back on, the "T" design glowing slightly, as she pressed a piece of the helmet over her left ear.

"Mendel forces, this is High Queen Kirta Clett." She announced. "While we may be lost on an unknown world, this is no time to despair. Keep with your discipline and training, and soon, we will have our answers."

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The Mendel Warriors were soon on the desert's surface, scouting for any signs of civilization. The Orgaat had long survived and thrived on worlds such as this, and the Chieftain himself hailed from a world not to different from the one they found themselves on. Fitted within their massive, clawed hands, were several rifles, spears and combat knives, all designed, not for efficiency, but to help them master the art of the hunt and to kill with skill, not speed. The Chieftain looked over the deserts, spotting few plants, his predatory eyes narrowed, as one of his subordinates approached.

"V'ota, Great Chieftain. Our warriors grow hungry. Have you spotted anything, great leader?" The Warrior asked, bowing slightly.

"None yet, brother." The Chieftain said. "I pray to the Ancestors our kind have not found themselves on a dead world."

"Shall we release our hounds?" The Warrior asked. "They grow restless, and the handlers believe they have a scent of some sort."

V'ota nodded slightly, planting his spear in the ground, and kneeling slightly eyes focused on the horizon. "Let our Hound-kin hunt. And hopefully, we will have meat to gorge ourselves on."

The Warrior turned back to some of the other warriors, and barked at them, before making a hand signal towards the Hounds. The creatures were similar in appearance to the Orgaat themselves, but their quills shorter, and their bodies carried by four powerful limbs. The creatures barked and hissed, as their handlers released them, the creatures immediately heading off into the deserts without a second look back.

V'ota reached into one of his tribal pouches, and produced a comlink, contacting the High Queen. "Great Clan-Queen. We are still hunting. The hounds smell something, and we have released them. We will contact you again once we have found our query."

"Good work Chieftain. Good luck in your hunts." She said, before communications were cut.

The Chieftain looked back over the horizon, clicking his teeth together, as the hounds disappeared from view.

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Helo Roslia walked along the edge of the wall, looking out over the desert. He still couldn't believe what had happened. He understood where the lions were coming from, but he didn't understand why it had to escalate to that point. So many of his friends had left, and…

He heard something, vaguely familiar. Almost like…

He turned. Outside the gate, he spotted several...Orgaat Hounds rushing towards the fence.

Then...he spotted several Orgaat Warriors following.

Roslia's eyes widened. "Mendel?! Here?!" He was slightly surprised, but the idea of an old ally coming back was incredible. The Chieftain rose a clawed hand, bringing his warriors to a stop, as several barked at the hounds, causing them to immediately sit down on their hunches and stop.

"You, Liber'tusi, are you friend or foe of Republic?" The Chieftain asked, giving a weary, sideways glance.

"Well, we have some explaining to do, but yes, I am former captain, now Admiral Helo Roslia."

"I am V'ota, one of the many Clan Chieftains." The Orgaat said with a bow. "It is good to see a friendly face in the desert lands. Let me contact the High Queen, before we continue."  
Helo nodded. He turned to his communicator. "Mr. President?"

The voice of President Kennedy responded after a second. "We have some visitors."

"Copy. We will arrive momentarily. You are free to escort them in."

Roslia nodded. "Open the gate!" He ordered.

The gate parted, and Roslia motioned for the Mendel to enter.

"Unfortunately, the New Cyrannian Republic has joined a new faction here. We, like many others, were rescued by Emperor Jack Anderson. We are a benevolent force though, despite what some of our enemies might say."

The Orgaat noticed the tone of anger in his voice when he said that. He cocked his head to one side, narrowing his left eye.

"I am curious as to what has happened, but my warriors need a hearty serving of fresh meat, and my Queen should probably hear of this first." The Chieftain said. "But an Emperor seems very out of character for your people."

Roslia nodded. "Trust me, many of us know that. To our surprise, he's ruling very well, and has far less authority then Tyromairon. I would prefer a more democratic system, but this is the best we can get right now. But I do agree on that. Many of us had problems with this whole idea at first."

The Chieftain nodded slightly, as he and his warriors followed the Admiral into the gates and the rest of the base.

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Roslia guided them through the city, explaining what this place was, how it got here, and the events that had proceeded since then. The war with Palpatine, the recent schism, and the fact that many former Cyrannian Imperials had forsaken Tyromairon to follow their new leader, who seemed to have gained their loyalty through trust and friendliness instead of fear. The Chieftain listened slightly, but he and his warriors seemed rather restless, many snapping their jaws slightly to signal for their lust for food.

Then, several human workers approached with several crates of meat. "A gift for you and your people. Token of President Kennedy."

"Praise be to him and the Ancestors!" The Chieftain said eagerly, taking the largest piece of meat and tearing into it greedily, before growling to the rest of his warriors to follow suite.

The Orgaat and their hounds sat down, eagerly devouring the food before them, as the Chieftain turned to Helo slightly, a piece of meat hanging from the corner of one of his jaws.

"You speak of a President Kennedy. I am not as aware of your politics, but did you not have a different leader?" The Chieftain asked.

"Apollo?" Roslia asked. "Long story, but he sided with our enemies. I wish it wasn't so, but he turned his back on us all."

"Hmmm." The Chieftain said. "I must contact my Queen. This information is very important."

He pulled out his comlink, holding up to his ear. "High Queen, I have very good news. We have found an old ally, the New Republic. The Ancestors are truly with us this day."

"Very good. Very good indeed." She said. "We'll track your signal, and meet you there."

"May your journey be protected." The Chieftain replied, clicking off, before turning to Helo. "Now, we wait for her arrival."

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 **Drew's POV**

"So, what do you think?" Siriulilus asked me. I looked in awe at the new city which had just been built! Sure, it wasn't as big as Colossus is yet, but dammit we're making some great progress so far! I smiled ear to ear as I scanned the new capital.

"Guys," I began. I turned to face them, and with a smirk I finished, "welcome to 'New Colossus'!" Everyone looked in awe at the structures and buildings. It reminded them of the old 'Colossus' in a way, but the structure of it and the overall design was way different! Our buildings were made up of titanium alloy steel just like the old capital's buildings, but they were way wider rather than taller. We could fit way more into one building than the old building's from the Empire could.

It took up more space, but it was better in the long run. More buildings for very specific purposes were made. Jobs were going to be offered through the roof! We have our hospitals, our military base, our restaurants, our places of entertainment; _everyone_ was gonna get a chance to contribute to our new nation!

I smirked. This was gonna be awesome! If only my fucking leg can heal from that prick shooting me, then everything would be great! I suddenly felt something on my shoulder. Flinching in slight shock, I turned to see that it was Jade's hand. She was looking me directly in the eyes. The others saw what was going on, and they turned to walk away, smirks on their faces.

"You show great initiative, and have noble leadership qualities! What that _tyrannic_ Emperor said, what he thought.. what he _did_.. That was wrong… He will get his someday, but for now we must survive. I have no doubt you will be a worthy leader for these people. You are probably the most sensible person I've met in this place.." I stood there in absolute shock!

 _Did Jade just say that!?_

Nonetheless, I snapped out of my trance and gave her a smile.

"Thank you, Jade.. You are a great person too, even if you _did_ try and kill me." I joked at the end. Jade cocked a brow and sarcastically asked,

"Oh? And don't be too surprised if I do so again.. _Next_ time, you won't be so lucky.." I chuckled and held my hands up in front of me.

"Okay, okay. You win." I then got serious and finished. "Thanks for believing in me.. A lot of others may have followed me, but you I never would've expected." Jade cocked a brow again.

"And why is that?" I shrugged slightly and replied,

"Because you're careful.. You don't trust others too easily.. I _get_ that! I'm the exact same way.." I looked to the side in slight agitation and continued,

" _He_ on the other hand trusted people almost _immediately_! Probably trusted people _too_ much! And now here we are…" I sighed. As pissed off as I was at Jack, it still fucking hurt me deep inside! My heart, my soul, it was crushed! I trusted him like a brother, almost like a new Landon! And _this_ is the shit I get in return!? Fuck off!

Jade noticed my obvious inner struggle. She looked away with a sigh.

"I once trusted someone dearly too.." She said. I immediately turned to face her. "She was my best friend in the whole world.." Jade looked up at me directly in the eyes. To my shock and surprise, there were _tears_ forming in her eyes! She continued,

"Her name was Kitana.. She was Princess of Edenia.." Jade shook her head. "A sorcerer by the name of Shang Tsung brainwashed her.. I turned to Raiden and the Elder Gods for assistance, but they were of no help…" She sighed and wiped a tear away, trying to hide it. "Kitana killed her mother, Queen Sindel.. Shao Kahn, the emperor of Outworld demanded it so! She came after me, but…" She paused, sitting there in silence.

I was on the edge of my seat now. I looked at her with slight worry and I asked,

"What happened?.." Jade continued to stare at the desert ground. She then softly stated,

"I killed her…" I sat there in silence and absolute shock! That was _terrible_! And no, I'm _not_ saying Jade is in the wrong! She did what she had to do! But, having to _murder_ your best friend… That must be soul shattering… She immediately shot to her feet and started to storm away.

"I gotta go.." She said. I snapped out of it and worriedly yelled,

"Jade!" She didn't respond, and she was soon out of sight. I sighed and stared at the ground. My anger was beginning to form! Not at her, but at all this bullshit that was happening! At _Jack_ and his dumbass tyrannic empire! They _must_ be stopped! I punched the ground in anger, trying to let off some steam.

"Drew..."

I turned to see Siriulilus approaching, looking quite nervous. I pinched the bridge of my nose in slight aggravation. What now?

"It's… the Empire. Two Star Destroyers just arrived." I widened my eyes in anger.

"What!?" I yelled.

"Our first new ships aren't even ready to deploy...They're...trying to contact us." I huffed.

"That son of a bitch! First he promises immunity to that lioness, _then_ he banished us _here_ to this God forsaken place to die, and _now_ the fucker turns around again and decides to just finish us off anyways! That fucking snake!" I stood to my feet and looked Siriulilus directly in the eye.

"Get whatever troops you can.. I ain't letting these fuckers win _that_ easily!"

"This is Admiral Thonaloc of the Dilanian Empire! I have been sent to send a message."

I turned to hear a communique coming from one of the ships.

"We are here informing that the Empire recognizes your Independence as a sovereign state, but will _not_ tolerate any acts of aggression, espionage, or revenge against our people. Our ships will not cross the northern ridge, that shall be the border. You will be given a reprieve for now, by _direct_ order of the Emperor. Do not spurn our mercy." I widened my eyes.

"The northern ridge!?" I complained. "We should at _least_ have gotten up to the fucking Dilanian River! What a joke! Way to buttfuck us, Jack!"

"And to the leader, Akase has been returned. By official pardon of the Emperor. You have been warned, cross the ridge and you'll face the full wrath of the Sovereign Emperor and his Imperial Navy!"

With that, the two Star Destroyers hyperspaced away, as if they were never here. I seethed in fuming anger.

They arrived around fifty miles away, where at least five were patrolling what seemed to be the newly declared border.

Siriulilus growled. "We need to accelerate our planned fleet deployment. Including Dreadnoughts. We _can't_ let this stand." I shook my head.

"No, we _won't_!" I agreed. "This fucker has now given us a shitty land deal! You know what we get? _Nothing_! We have this barren area, all the way till about the Northern ridge that leads into the Empire 50 or so miles away! Had we gotten it to the Dilanian _River_ , we would have at least 60 miles worth of more land! They're fucking us, Siriulilus! They're treating us like we're nothing!" I then looked determined. "But we'll _show_ them something! That is a promise!.."

Siriulilus nodded. "The moment we have a fleet capable of securing our desired land, we must seize it from the Emperor. Let him try to come to us from there. We'll crush them, and then march right on their capital." I nodded in agreement and said,

"For now, we must focus not only on building our military and fleets, but also on forming our government! We had a meeting hall similar to the old one built right in the center of New Colossus. " I then pointed out, "Only difference? It actually has a coffee machine that fucking _works_!" I looked Siriulilus in the eye.

"Let everyone know. Tell them we're holding our first ever meeting in about 20 minutes.. There's a lot to discuss.."

He nodded. "Yes, it shall be done."

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 **No POV**

Murmurs among everyone who joined in the rebellion against the Dilanian Empire echoed throughout the room. And that meant _every_ single one. Even Adia and the citizens who left the Empire were present. Drew wanted everyone to have to hear what had to be said, and of the structure of their new government. Drew, Siriulilus, Apollo, Mufasa, Adia, and Jade were among the notable ones there.

They had convinced Jade to attend the meeting, even though she didn't really feel like it. She bit her tongue and attended anyhow.

' _It must be important.. Whatever it is. I owe it to at least listen..'_ Jade thought.

"Attention!" Drew yelled, standing to his feet. Silence immediately followed. With a slight smile, he continued, "Thank you all for coming! As you all know, Jack and his Empire are completely against us! They're trying to bulldog us! They're trying to prove their superiority!" Everyone murmured their anger and resentment of the Empire's actions.

"But for now at least, we can't really do anything about it.." Drew continued. "Building our military will take time, so our resistance will have to wait." Everyone sat there with disappointed, but understanding expressions. "We need to focus on building our government and its structure! We'll start from scratch and make it _better_ than the Empire's!"

"Yeah!" Everyone simultaneously said.

"I've called each one of you here, even the citizens, because I feel like you deserve a say in this too! There's no room for corruption and a horniness for power here!" Despite his crude analogy, everyone cheered in agreement. Finally someone offered to hear their voice!

"So," Drew began. "anyone have any suggestions? Any at all.. Just raise your hand."

Mufasa then spoke up. "We need a king. And I, for one, feel the choice can only be you." I widened my eyes at that.

"Me!?" Drew asked in surprise. "But why me?"

"Because, it can _only_ be you." Apollo added. "No-one here has the level of knowledge and skill to lead us. Your knowledge, your determination, your refusal to back down, that is what we need right now. Only you can stand up to the Emperor."

"I agree." Siriulilus declared. "I followed because I knew you were right. What happened was a tragedy, but the Emperor was completely in the wrong in his response. You are the very symbol of this new nation, and it would only be fitting if you led it to victory." I sat there, still stunned by their words!

"I-" Drew began. "I don't know what to say.. Does anyone else agree to this?" Most of the people cheered their agreement. Some didn't necessarily agree a King was the way to go, but they figured it would be better than an Emperor. Drew smiled, feeling genuinely happy and excited about this.

"Wow.." He could barely contain his excitement and his graciousness evidently showed. "Well, I suppose if we're all in agreement, Monarchy it is! I'll be the King!" Drew slammed the gavel on the table, letting everyone know the decision was final. It was a new touch he added.. Everyone cheered, and began chanting,

"Drew is King! Long live the King!" This went on for a couple minutes before the hype all settled down a bit. Drew got their attention once more and said,

"I may not end up being the perfect leader, but by God I'm going to do my damn best to be!" This only fueled more hype among the people.

"And what will the name of our new kingdom be?" Mufasa asked. Drew put his finger under his chin in thinking. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Jade.. She didn't particularly look like she wanted to be there, yet she was here anyways! It's not like Drew would've forced her to attend. She came because she felt she had to!

Drew sighed. She really was a good person.. She's just gone through a hell of a lot. He too had felt very similar to that in the past. Even though he wasn't involved, he still didn't want to see her so down..

All of a sudden, an idea lit up in Drew's head!

"I know what it'll be called.." Drew said to Mufasa. Jade appeared to look curious as well and looked on. Drew turned his gaze to where he was looking directly at her and replied,

"Edenia.." Jade gasped at that. It wasn't a gasp of negativity of any kind, she was just surprised by the act. "No.." Drew said. He smiled and amended, " _New_ Edenia! 'The United Kingdom of New Edenia' if you wanna be that _one_ formal guy.." Jade could only look on with her eyes widened. She was truly at a loss for words.

"Then, may the United Kingdom of New Edenia prosper, and one day, triumph over the detestable Empire." Apollo said, grinning. Drew smirked at Apollo's words.

"I like your spirit, asshole!" He teased. Not in a serious way, but in a joking one.

Apollo responded by flipping him off, a rather strange sight for the normally more reserved Libertus, or Libertus in general. Drew then began,

"Okay, here's what'll happen everyone:" He continued, "You all go home to the houses you've chosen for yourselves and just try and live life normally! I have records of what jobs you previously had at the Empire, and you'll all immediately go back to work as normal! We may be a brand new nation, but we're gonna be the ones who set an example for everyone else: through great betrayal and pain, rose an even better nation! 'Their government and their ideals is something we should follow.'. _That_ is what people will be saying!" Once again, everyone cheered their praises and hype to Drew's words.

"Our kingdom will rise from the ashes of this tyrannous betrayal, and will prosper throughout the ages!" He finished. Everyone present stood to their feet and cheered with a round of applause. The entire hall echoed the thunderous cheering.

"Everyone go home.." Drew said. "Siriulilus, Apollo, Mufasa, you stay here for just a second.." Everyone exited the building minus those 3. Jade, however, walked up to Drew and said almost nervously,

"Um, Drew?.. Could we talk when you are done with matters here?" Drew nodded immediately.

"Of course, Jade.." Drew said. With a smile, I then added. "Anything for you!" Drew couldn't tell because of her mask, but he thought she gave a smile in return. With that, she exited the building, shutting the door behind her. He turned to face the 3 men he asked to stay behind.

"What is it, Drew?" Siriulilus asked, curious as to why they were asked to stay. He scanned each one of them with his eyes and gave a slight grin.

"Siriulilus," He began. "I'm making you Head of our military! Think you can handle that?" Drew finished with a smirk.

Siriulilus grinned, and nodded. "Those bastards will fall to our new fleet." Drew patted his shoulder.

"Good to hear! You'll make an exceptional commander!" He complimented. Drew then turned to Mufasa and Apollo.

"As for you two," he began. He had an expression of sadness and regret. "I… don't know how to say this…" Drew paused, leaving the two shocked and confused.

"What? What is it?" Apollo asked.

"Oh.." Drew sadly muttered. "It's just…"

Drew immediately went from 'sad' to excited when he announced,

"You two are my new royal advisors!"

Apollo stopped, before grinning. "Frak you for messing with us like that!" He laughed. Drew laughed at the top of his lungs. He barely managed to get out through his laughter,

"I got your asses good didn't I? Come on, admit it. I did!"

Mufasa rolled his eyes, but grinned. "You did. Thank you, I look forward to working with you."

Apollo nodded in agreement. "Same here. Thank you, my friend." Drew smiled and replied,

"No problem! You all will do great in your respective positions. I have _full_ confidence in that!" Drew stood up out of his chair and finished with a sly smirk,

"Now if you'll excuse me, I gotta talk to the lady.."

All three nodded, and exited the room, leaving Drew alone.

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 **Drew's POV**

I walked to the door that Jade had went through and opened it. She was waiting just outside. I motioned for her to come into the meeting room so she could sit down.

"So, what's on your mind?" I asked her curiously. Jade sighed and looked up at me.

"It- It's just-" She took a deep breath and continued. " _Why_? Why would you do that? Why would you name your nation after my homeland?" I sighed with a frown.

"I just thought it might make you more happy; that it might cheer you up a bit. I can tell you've been through a hell of a lot, but I have too.. I know what it's like to lose a friend, to lose family.. You shouldn't've had to go through that.." Jade looked down in sadness, at the memory of her friend. Soon realizing exactly what he just said, she widened her eyes.

"You.. You did this.. for me?" I nodded.

"Hell yeah I did! I wanted to honor your original home, plus the name ain't bad either." I finished with a chuckle, trying to lighten the mood. To my absolute surprise, Jade took off her mask for the first time! And hot _damn_ she was beautiful!

 _Wait_

Did I really just think that?

' _Of course you did you numbnuts!'_ I thought to myself. ' _You said you were in love with her, and why wouldn't you be! She's so fucking hot! She's just like you and is also a great person once you got to know her a bit..'_ Jade sent me a smile that made my heart melt.

"Thank you, Drew.." She said. What she did next shocked me to the very _core_! She wrapped her arms around me and gave me a hug. I was frozen in shock for a couple seconds, before I slowly returned the embrace. "You're a true friend.."

I wanted this moment to last forever..

But of course, all good things had to come to an end sometime.. She let go and stood to her feet. She put her mask back on and in a surprisingly sheepish way, asked,

"So… I guess I'll see you around?" I smiled at her.

"Definitely!" I replied. She nodded and exited the room. I leaned back in my chair and held my chest.

"Jesus Christ.." I said in a mutter.

 _I'm in love!_

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 **Kenzi's POV**

I couldn't believe this! Jack was such a prick for what did to my brother! Sure that was wrong what the lions did, but did Jack need to shoot him?!

"Search your feelings, they will light the way. Embrace your emotions, they will guide your heart. Listen to your mind, they will guide your plan. Do you understand?"

I froze, was that...Tyromairon?!

"Yes...I see it all...the light...the darkness...the _balance_..."

What was going on?!

"Good. You are doing well. Soon you will be the most powerful being in this world, able to challenge the Greek to direct combat if necessary, though _that_ is a long way off." I peeked into the room where the voice was coming from, and saw Tyromairon talking to Jack! What the hell were they on about now!? Probably some new scheme to flex their power.. Then, the dark being turned to me. "Ah...the sister. Come, why don't you join us?"

I was pulled forward telekinetically.

"What the hell! Let go of me!" I yelled.

Tyromairon regarded the young girl, his expression blank. Then, the dark lord opened his mouth to speak.


	12. Chapter 12, New Arrivals

**Kenzi's POV**

Tyromairon circled me like a marine predator. "Interesting..." He said. I growled in anger.

"Let go of me you fucker!" I cursed. A trait I seemed to have picked up from Drew over the years..

"Such defiance... " Jack commented. "She does not know the truth. About all of this." I shot my gaze towards Jack and commented,

"I should've gone with Drew! I may not agree with him for what he defended, but you've gone _way_ off the fucking deep end!"

"And do you think it would have changed anything?" Jack asked. "Do you honestly think I _wanted_ all this? You may not understand it, but if I did _nothing_ with those lions, it would have destroyed both my credibility and that of your brother. And I am _very_ sane." I scoffed.

"You don't _care_ about my brother! If you truly cared you would've found a less lunatic way of dealing with him! You _shoot_ him in the leg and send him to the _Badlands_!? You're just asking for him to die!"

"Do you know what he did though? Why he, _himself_ was exiled?" I raised a brow.

"Oh now this I must hear.." I sarcastically stated.

"For one, simple reason." Jack declared. "He wanted _nothing_ to be done. He was willing to let a child die, to allow a barbaric act of wanton cruelty to go unpunished, and had the nerve to compare me to your father. I had a choice. Either destroy everything that this place stood for, or make a _very_ tough decision. I offered _immunity_ , and they refused. I shortened the sentence _,_ and they _refused_. I explained that they had to follow our laws if they wanted to live here, and they _refused_." I cringed. Drew had compared Jack to that of our _father_!? He doesn't just do that without a _reason_! This has to be worse than I thought..

"Do you think I don't _know_ that!?" I screamed with tears in my eyes. "I don't give a shit if he murdered people daily and stored them in a freezer! I would _still_ love him with all my heart! He's my _family_! I would obviously resent that wholeheartedly and hate his actions, but family is supposed to fucking stick together through it all!" I paused and finished with malice. "If you _truly_ thought Drew as your 'brother', you would've done the same! You clearly show no love or respect towards him. _Even_ in his darkest moments!.."

Jack looked at me blankly. "Then you have no _idea_ what he really thought."

He approached. "He complained about you _all_ the time. He told me about Landon, about how much he missed him. He told me about how much he hated himself for not spending time with Adia, but curiously, he never mentioned anything like that about you. He said he loved you, but I could tell how much he preferred his brother to you." I gasped in seething anger. I was starting to reach my boiling point.

"I was going to give you a position in Imperial government when we were first founded, But he refused, saying that you weren't ready. All he ever did was pity himself about not spending time with Adia, or about how he couldn't save Landon. But he _never_ wanted to spend any time with you. I remember an argument we had once. I asked why he refused to spend time with you, and his precise words were "I'd actually rather spend time with Adia right now"..."

With that, Jack stopped. He looked me dead in the eyes. "He didn't even do anything when you said you'd stay here." I was at this point ready to lose it! If it wasn't for some bitch holding me back with his space powers, I honestly would snap his neck right now! With tears in my eyes, I angrily exclaimed,

"Th- That's not true! You're lying! He _does_ love me! _Fuck_ you! Go to Hell! And don't you _dare_ speak of our brother _ever_ again! Do you understand!?"

Suddenly, images entered my mind, showing me that precise moment.

" _I'd rather spend time with Adia right now."_

 _It was night, and Jack and Drew were on the outskirts of the city._

" _Dude, she's your sister! She loves you! Why can't you find the time to hang out with her as well?" Jack asked, clearly exasperated. Drew sighed and replied,_

" _Well I mean she's kinda pissed at me right now anyways! I played a joke on her to get her back from that one night and kinda pissed her off!" Drew laughed at that._

 _Jack groaned. "She's your sister! It's part of the relationship. She's more pissed at you for not spending time with her after than that joke." Drew turned to Jack and said,_

" _Bro, you clearly don't know Kenzi." He said with a chuckle. "If I asked her to hang out she'd rip my head off! We've learned when we're pissed at each other to give it some time.."_

 _Jack stopped. "You still need to spend time with her. She still loves you, but I never see any kind of worry for her like with Adia. Why?" Drew then looked a little angry and upset._

" _What are you, my Mother?" He said. "I DO worry about her, all the time! We just have a… unique way of showing love. You're pissed, you have some time to cool down. It's how it works!"_

" _You don't show it." Jack said, before turning and walking off. "If you did care about her, you'd do more then give her space. I tried that with my brother, and it failed miserably..."_

 _With that, Jack was gone… Drew shook his head and muttered,_

" _The fuck is his problem?.." Before he too walked off, carrying on.._

With that, the vision ended.

Jack looked at me. "I tried to talk to him about it, and ever since, our relationship has been going downhill. The incident was the straw that broke the camel's back. He always hated me after that fight." I gave him a scowl.

"And why should I give a shit? I don't care if he hates you! In fact, I'm starting to see why!" I paused and continued, "I don't know for sure I'll admit, but I'm willing to bet that what you just said is either bullshit, or is spun around in a different way!"

Jack sighed. "You clearly have no idea what happened."

"And _you_ clearly have no idea when to shut the fuck up!" I countered in seething anger.

"Your anger is your strength. You'll make an excellent Inquisitor." Tyromairon interjected. "All you lack is control." I growled and yelled,

"I don't fucking know, nor _care_ what any of that is supposed to mean! Now let me go!"

"No...You still have much to learn." Tyromairon sighed.

"One day, you'll come to know the truth. The ruination of New Edenia, the return of your brother, the destruction of the Galactic Empire. It's all near. Whether as allies, or as subjects, they will one day bow. As will you."

Jack nodded. "Our time is near. And you have a role to play yet."

Then, everything went black.

 **Jack's POV**

"Well, it seems that _everyone_ is a traitor." I growled. Rexy and Mon Mothma looked at me, Mon Mothma with anger, and Rexy with a disappointed but stern expression but most importantly one of defiance...while Archer looked at Rexy with a disgusted and betrayed expression. It looked like he was gonna spit at his _Former General_ any moment now.

"I'm sorry Sir...but you are becoming the very thing you swore to destroy...if we were to fight alongside someone like you we wouldn't had defected when the Galactic Empire was formed!"

"TRAITORS! YOU ARE SIDING WITH THE TRUE ENEMY WITH THE TRUE TYRANTS...MURDER OF THE CHILDREN IS A WARCRIME! AND THEY THINK ITS SOME STUPID CIRCLE OF LIFE?! My Lord I must protest! They are wrong! REXY YOU ARE BLINDED BY A LIE! THEY ARE NO BETTER THAN THE SEPERATISTS!

Rexy just chuckled as he said "Even if they weren't...they still ain't a wannabe copy of the Galactic Empire...as of now….The Grand Army of the Republic is declaring its own exile to the Badlands"

Mon Mothma added. "That goes for us as well."

"Not the Mon Calamari!"

I then saw Admiral Ackbar and… Luke Skywalker approaching.

"We are staying with the Dilanian Empire. At least they will help liberate my people while you ran and hid from the Galactic Empire."

"Excuse me fish?! Without _us_ your planet wouldn't have stood against the Quarren and the Separatists."

"Perhaps because your emperor wanted to weaken them both. As far as I can tell, the Rebellion and the GAR are nothing but cowards who want to restore a broken system." Luke growled.

"I'm staying with my father and the Emperor." Luke added.

"Speak for yourself. I wouldn't expect a farmboy to understand how wrong _any_ Empire is." Princess Leia snapped.

"Enough!" I thundered. "Get out of my Empire! Side with those traitors!"

Rexy just smiled and stormed off along with the Rebel leaders….A LAAT waiting for them as Most of the Republic and Ex CIS ships along with the Rebel ships went into Hyperspace and off to the Badlands...while a few remained...loyal to their Emperor.

I turned to Archer, and Admiral Ackbar. "I feel promotions are in order."

As the rebel and GAR fleets withdrew to the badlands, I felt...nothing. This wasn't like the regret I felt with Drew, but something else. More like, disgust. Those traitors had the nerve to compare me to Palpatine. How dare they!

This wouldn't be the end of it.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 **Jack's POV**

I sighed under my breath. It felt...strange, with so many gone.

C.G, Ethan, myself, Caesarius, Carandial, Palenix, Kovu, Kylie, Anakin, Luke, Simba and Nala had just finished the movie.

"That was really cool! Thanks for letting us join, dad!" Simba laughed.

"Indeed it was." Caesarius said with a smile.

I blinked. "Yes, I am adopting Simba." Caesarius shrugged.

"And I am adopting Nala. It's...the least we could do for them." Carandial added.

I smiled a little bit.

"At least we're still here." Kylie sighed. "I do miss them though."

I nodded. "Yes. I do too."

Anakin nodded. "I find it ironic that of all the parents here, I'm the only who had a biological child, and yet I didn't know it for 19 years."

We looked to each other, before chuckling a bit.

"It would seem that this family is indeed a strange one." Ethan commented.

I nodded.

"I have to say, it's amazing how close we all are." Palenix added.

I grinned. "To me, you guys are family, not just friends, but family. I would do anything to protect everyone of you."

Then my face turned grim. "But we cannot allow the traitors to gain ground." xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxoxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I lay in my bed, C.G next to me.

"I will always enjoy these moments." I said. C.G rested against my shoulder.

We were totally happy.

"Same here..." She said.

It was a very tender moment between us, a rare thing in these times.

"Jack..." C.G asked.

I looked at her. "Yes, my queen?"

"I...well..." She began, seemingly trying to find a good way to…

Was she…

Oh no…

"What is it?" I asked.

She sighed then looked at me…

 **Unknown POV**

What is this place? Does it even exist? At least I.. feel. I feel soft air brush across my face. I feel oxygen fill my lungs. It wasn't even seconds ago when I began to feel empty and cold, and then I ceased to exist. I was willed to no longer happen. A great calamity had befallen my old world, but it seems that it was but a doorway to this new dimension.

If I am in a new reality, then I shall introduce myself to it. My name is Alexander Richard Maximilian. There is a lot about me that you should know, so I shall tell you the important things. I am the son of a king, but not in a way you might expect. I have seen things no man should, and some things that dreams fall short of reality. I am only 25 years of age, but I do not know if I am reincarnated into a new body in this place. But how and why do I remember if that is the case?

I suppose I should try to move. I have control over my muscles and limbs, so that is a good sign, right? I bring my arms to my eye level. They certainly appear to be my default arms. Earlier, they were covered in bruises and drenched with blood, some of which belonged to me, the rest belonged to foes that I was battling in a great battle. My memory is not yet solid, but I remember strange beings with an unnatural amount of limbs, I remember fighting to prevent someone special dying, and I remember lightning, and lots of it. These flashes of recollection may have taken seconds or days to take place. I would not know which measurement of time would be more appropriate.

Where now are the friends alongside whom I fought with? Where now is the field in which I apparently fell? What now shall I do to return to my world, if it is even possible, if it even exists?

My old world was Earth. It was once home to seven billion people, and we shared it with many beings, species and organisms. But after we failed to prevent a great calamity, I predict that half of all who live there are dead. They may not have known pain in their final moments, but they most definitely felt fear and panic. They would see their loved ones fade into nothingness, and they would be powerless to avert it.

What caused this you might ask? The very thing that a group of remarkable people united to defeat was an alien. He came through a hole in reality. He saw what opposed him and brushed them aside with minimal effort. Even the mightiest soldier could not halt him. He conquered his aim, despite his aim initially being destroyed. I had only learned of this being a day prior, and now I know why he was feared so much.

His name was Thanos. He was responsible for wiping out half the population of the universe, including me, and maybe even my family and my friends. There would be no mercy, no salvation for those who were randomly selected to be sacrificed, so the other half may live on in sorrow and guilt. The mad Titan may have been under the delusion that he was the herald of destiny. All he was is the herald of death.

The battle in question originated from the discovery of strange gems called Infinity Stones, which were created by mystical celestial beings before the creation of time itself. It was similar to the gem inside my sword, which was known as the King's Stone. It was created by the beings that my family believe are Gods.

My family… the ones who picked me up when I had lost everything for the first time. That has happened to me at least three times. The first time was when I survived a plane crash, the next was when my adoptive father, none other than a ruler of a kingdom who happened to be an anthropomorphic lion, was assassinated by his brother, whom had sided with another being known to these lions as the God of Death, Ibilisi. He also had a hand in the war over the Infinity Stones, having supported Thanos with mystical technology and additional strength in the form of armies of hybrid creatures known as Abominations, which could be described as a blending of hyenas and cheetahs, if such a creature was possible to exist.

This is the third time. I would not be surprised if it happened again, but at the moment, I have nothing to lose. While this world shares similarities with Earth, it appears utterly abandoned, there is no sign of human activity.

'Where am I?' I questioned myself in my troubled mind. I got up from where I was lying down. I was only looking upwards to the azure sky, but when I looked around my surroundings, I was not treated to a pleasant, or a versatile sight. All I could see was mounds, hills and mountains of sand.

"Well, this is just fucking fantastic," I sighed. Since there was no hope in my heart or anything to lose, I decided to trek the caldera of sand to find a sign of life. Where do I go from here?

"Are you alright?"

I turned my head to see where the most unexpected voice had originated, and what I saw… confused me, to say the least. The owner of the voice had the appearance of a raptor, only it stood on two legs and was adorned with a white suit.

As the creature cautiously edged closer to me, I pointed, waved and fisted the air in utter frustration and confusion.

"I-I give up. I. Give. Up. I don't know what the fuck life is anymore, I'm standing here in the middle of a desert, having been erased from existence, but you're just…. Standing there. Standing!"

"Its alright." The raptor said firmly. "Do you need food, water?"

"What I need is- yeah, actually, I could do with some water, thank you- what I need is an explanation of where I am and what the hell happened to me?"

The raptor sighed. "This always happens. You've been sent to a new universe. All of those here have gone through this. Luckily for you, we have the means to keep people safe here. You're lucky I found you and not one of the local predators."

"Yeah, that's true. I thank thee for finding me before it was too late," I expressed my gratitude towards the raptor.

I checked my body to see if I had retained possession of the armour that I had adorned during the battle. While it would not appear to be so, I was protected with an armour made of a rare element known as vibranium that was currently invisible to the eye, and on my leather belt was my sword, to my relief.

"Where's this water you speak of?" I asked.

He motioned for me to follow him. "At our capital, the city of New Colossus. I believe the King would like to speak with you, as he does all new arrivals."

"Well, if it's better than this godforsaken place, I would be all but happy to meet… um… His Excellence? Is that what he goes by?"

The raptor laughed a little. "No, he let's people call him by his regular name. He's kind of informal. A great leader though."

"I shall eagerly await meeting him. It will be nice to have some clarity for once. When I was on my old planet, I was in the middle of a great battle, over some magical stone or some shit, and the next thing I know, this big purple scrotum-face strolls in through a portal and ends up snapping his fingers and erasing half of all life in the universe...well, at least _that_ universe," I explained to the raptor my last few hours spent on my old home.

He nodded sympathetically. "Apologies, my friend. My people are at war as well. What is your name if I may ask?"

"My name is Alexander Maximilian, but you may call me Alex. You should hear my official title," I chuckled, having initially struggled to remember my extended royal title myself when I was first given it by my adoptive family.

"My name is Admiral Daeron Siriulilus. I am an Admiral in the New Edenian Fleet. Pleasure to meet you Alex."

"Likewise," I extended my hand to him, and he firmly shook mine, recognising the gesture.

"That is a badass name, though. Daeron Siriililullaby," Alex tripped over the name, thinking that the name of the raptor sounded like something from Game of Thrones.

He laughed. "Most people can't get it right the first ten times."

We turned a corner, and we happened upon a HUMVEE. "You know, I think I'm developing a taste for human cars." He commented. "Standard issue New Edenian transport."

"That's a sweet ride," I added. I was surprised that human cars would happen to be in the possession of a being such as the Admiral. I had expected to be led to a hovercraft or space ship. Then again, I had only just been introduced to an entirely new country where the technology was at least a century ahead of even the most advanced technology that was accessible to the general public. The isolationist nation of Wakanda, ruled by King T'Challa, also known as the Black Panther, was the only country where vibranium, which my suit is constructed from, as well as my shield, which would form around my left arm at my command, was used.

"When I'm all acquainted with the King, I shall show him my suit and weapons, though something tells me that the technology that lies within the suit is probably inferior to that of your New Edenia, even with the genius of Tony Stark and Princess Shuri of Wakanda…." I paused as the raptor looked at me as if I was speaking a strange tongue. "I'll explain that also while we travel."

We travelled through the barren desert, scaling the mountains of sand. The sun threw down intense heat on us, and the sweat on my back caused my shirt to stick to my skin. I would have to adjust my posture in the front seat of the powerful vehicle that easily climbed the dunes, and I would reach behind my back to peel the shirt from my skin.

"So, teach me about the world from which you came," Alex kindly requested.

Siriulilus blinked. "Well, I originally came from a galaxy called Cyrannus. It was...okay I guess. I honestly prefer this world to Cyrannus, things are simpler."

"Interesting. My world was similar to this… at least in places. I abode in the galaxy known as the Milky-Way," I explained.

Siriulilus blinked. "Plazith? My people had colonies there. At least, our version of it did. We seem to come from different realities."

"Indeed. I do not wish to think of the horror that had befallen my reality after Thanos had completed his evil goal," I shivered at the thought of innocent people across the universe fading away, and their loved ones being able to do nothing to prevent their fate.

Alas, we happened upon a paved carriageway. It was composed of tarmac and appeared to be recently constructed. The road wound through the dunes for many miles in either direction, and we turned left.

Soon enough we had come upon one of the many checkpoints established by several soldiers. One such trooper stationed at said checkpoint exited the checkpoint building, walked into the middle of the road and said "Hold it….identify yourself please."

Siriulilus rolled down the window. "Good work, Troopers! Though must you always stop me from entering New Colossus? You know what this car looks like."

The soldier took off his helmet. "I'm sorry, Sir, we are just following orders from the higher ups….You may proceed. Welcome home."

Siriulilus nodded, and proceeded through the checkpoint.

The two tripedal walkers moved out of the way to allow the car to pass.

Siriulilus turned to me.

"We have to be careful. The Empire is claiming territory to our north, we face potential invasion."

I blinked. "Empire?" I asked. I wondered if the Empire was similar to that of my own Earth country. Would it be prosperous and be a deliverer of civilisation and liberty, or an evil, authoritarian dictatorship?

Siriulilus seemed to notice my expression. "They are tyrants. They exiled us here for refusing to follow orders. Anderson is a dictator that must be stopped."

"Is that subjective? I mean, my old country once had the greatest empire, and while our legacy provided democracy and… relative economic prosperity, but the way in which we expanded was ruthless and merciless. Thousands of people were killed, misplaced or enslaved in the conquest."

Siriulilus looked at me. "He shot my king in the leg for challenging him. He turned children against their parents. He abandoned us here with nothing but a single replicator that I managed to appropriate. He even refused to give us a fair amount of territory."

I remained silent, processing the utter brutality of the Emperor. "Yeah, he sounds like a cunt, pardon my choice of vocabulary."

Siriulilus laughed. "That's exactly what he is. People I once considered my friends sided with him. They refused to see him for the monster he was."

"Well, I shall do what I can to be of use to the Kingdom. While I believe in democracy, I believe that peace, liberty and compassion surpass that, and I will do whatever it takes to help restore peace. The problem in this case appears to be the Emperor, not the Empire itself. If there is a chance that both parties can become allies, I hope that chance will be taken," I spoke my beliefs.

Siriulilus was silent for a short while. "The people are good people. But the Empire is a failed dream. It must be defeated and rebuilt from the ground up. Its Emperor and government are nothing but traitors and tyrants. There can be no peace until the Emperor is dead and the Imperial banner is taken down from the Imperial capital."

"Fair enough. Sometimes, I wished I could sort out my country's government. It was helmed by a bunch of incompetent politicians who knew nothing of the real world. Most were born with a silver spoon in their mouths, and all they cared for was their own interests," I explained the situation of the Conservative government in the UK.

Siriulilus nodded. "We are trying to rectify nepotism and authoritarianism here."

We continued driving over a short time, until we finally arrived at a large city.

"Welcome to New Colossus." Siriulilus said with a grin.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 **No POV**

Rexy was currently analyzing recent rumors of a new Imperial Dreadnought. Strange, it seemed. This was even larger than the _Executor_ -class currently in planning for the Galactic Empire.

"Sir?" A clone trooper asked.

Turning, Rexy nodded to the trooper.

"This design is way too huge….not even the Empire can make such ships...and their designs are wedge shaped...this looks like a hammer."

The trooper then continued. "We're detecting them to the far east. At least a thousand miles, but their energy output is massive."

Suddenly the radars began to beep as various clones looked at the reports as the trooper said. "They are inching away slowly...it is as if they were….studying us….and more primitive looking ships are tagging along them".

This was not good… As if they didn't have enough problems.

The signals continued to stay there…..as if waiting….looking at them….studying them.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 **Jack's POV**

I nodded in respect as I entered the room, alongside Athan Apostila(a Libertus who had sided with us) and President Kennedy.

"Pleasure to meet you, High Queen."

She marched forward, helmet tucked under one arm, and bowed her head, the small dreadlock-like objects on the back of her head clicking across her armor, as she held one armored hand against her chest.

"Likewise, Emperor." I nodded. "We will provide whatever we can to assist you and your people in this world. Free of charge, and in the spirit of cooperation. We do not harm newcomers, and we will aid them wherever we can."

"I am glad you are so welcoming." She said, raising her eyes to lock onto his eyes. "My people will take awhile to trust you, but I am sure if we can work together, trust can built."

I smiled. "We have a gift for your people. A replicator. This is the very core of our empires here, we give one to you as a peace-offering. This device will assist you in building a workable foundation on this world."

"Interesting. Our Mendel Engineers and Togunda Rune-Smiths will take interest in this great marvel. Our thanks." She said.

I nodded again. "Welcome to Chimaera."

 **Author's Notes:**

 **Zillafire101: Hello, everyone. ZF here. I'm quite happy to be part of this big crossover, and be part of something so awesome. I hope you all will enjoy this story. The Mendel Pact are a personal creation of mine, based on a variety of sources, especially the Mandalorians and the Celtic Tribes of ancient history. I hope you'll enjoy reading them, as much as I have enjoyed writing them. Be cool and be humble, my dudes, and I hope you enjoy the rest of the story that's to come.**

 **Dinolion92: This was an interesting chapter to write. I hope you all enjoyed it.**

 **ThatAcePilotKing: Hehehe hello. Can any of you readers out there guess what faction the hammer shaped ships belong to?! And the name of the ships? The bucket heads are coming!**

 **LionKingIsAwesome: Yeah, what they said! XD**

 **Liam Holman: I'm delighted to add Alex to this story. I'm excited to be working with these great authors, and I'm looking forward to see what potential this story has, and will try to fulfil it. I hope you enjoyed the chapter and I think you will enjoy the story and what Alex will bring to the narrative.**

 **Dinolion92: We all hope you enjoyed our collaborative scenes. This is an incredibly fun story to write. Remember, if you wish to join, just let me or LionKingIsAwesome know! Also, Liam is here as well, and we are happy to have him! Until next time!**


	13. Chapter 13, Emperor's Wrath

**Kenzi's POV**

I opened my eyes and immediately felt an aching, irritating pain all throughout my body. When I managed to sit up, I took in my surroundings: it was a dimly lit room. It was pretty confined and looked almost as if its purpose was to seclude anyone inside from any form of the outside. I jumped slightly when I heard a door open. I quickly shot my gaze towards the source of the noise, and in stepped Jack! That mother fucker!

Then, I saw the look of absolute, unbridled fury and...pain on his face. The look in his eyes was a wild, untamed look of pure rage and agony.

He stepped forward. "You're coming with me. You _will_ watch what's coming." I scoffed and replied with malice,

"Fuck off…"

I suddenly felt myself pulled forward. Not by the demonic Tyromairon, but by _Jack_.

"Your brother's little girlfriend _murdered_ my son!" He screamed. My expression and attitude immediately softened.

"What!?" I yelled. "How- When did this happen!? Why!?"

Jack held up an image. It showed Kovu, lying in the sand, a long stab wound on his side, identical to the type of weapon used by Jade. "We don't even make that kind of weapon. No one has one here. It matches her staff perfectly."

I could see tears of rage forming in Jack's eyes. "I'm giving him _one_ last chance. He will hand her over, or prosecute her for her crimes, or its war." I sat there with my eyes widened. I shook my head in absolute shock and muttered,

"Kovu.. Christ…"

Jack looked at me, his expression softened. "The only reason is because I don't want to have to kill your brother. I am giving them this chance for your sake." I sighed.

"I agree.. Kovu's killer needs to be brought to justice! He didn't deserve what he got at all.." My expression then got serious. "But I still think you're a tyrannic piece of shit! I loved Kovu, and this is for him! Nothing more!"

Jack then replied. "I don't care if you approve of this or not. Your brother has a choice. And you better pray he makes the correct one."

With that, he turned and walked off.

"Trooper, bring her to the command center."

A trooper nodded, and motioned for me to follow. I complied with the trooper as to not escalate anymore drama. Emperor Jack-ass and his Empire will get theirs! I'm almost certain of that!

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The door opened, and Carandial, Caesarius, Anakin and Tyromairon waited.

"Can the girl be trusted?" Carandial asked.

Jack shook his head. "She's here to give them their last chance. She'll then be sent there to join her traitorous brother."

Jack then turned and activated a screen. Drew, Alex, Rexy, Mon Mothma, Apollo, and Mufasa were at a table, discussing something, when our transmission arrived.

"Where is Jade?!" Jack demanded, his voice startling all of the people at the meeting. Recovering from that, Drew held an expression of rage, as did the others minus Alex and a few others who were still learning the full scale of the situation. Drew sarcastically yet aggressively said,

"Oh _I'm_ sorry! But I don't think that's any of your fucking business!" He then aggressively warned, "You'll stay the fuck away from her! You got that!?"

"Excellent start," I heard Alex mutter under his breath.

Jack's eyes narrowed. "That's a shame, you may fire when ready." He said, turning to Caesarius. Everyone's eyes widened.

"What did he just say?.." Mufasa said.

"Your girlfriend _murdered_ my son!" Jack screamed. "You _will_ hand her over or your kingdom will _burn_!" Drew slammed his fist on the table and yelled,

"Like _hell_ she did! Suck my dick!" But on the inside, he was truly heartbroken over the news.. He just couldn't show it.. He had to stay strong.

He was cut off when an image appeared on the screen, showing Kovu's body, with identical wounds to those caused by Jade's staff.

"It's not a request, dear _brother_." Jack snarled. "An order. You have a choice, the death of one or the death of all." Everyone looked in shock. That _did_ look a _lot_ like her bowstaff. Drew on the other hand shook his head in denial.

"That _wasn't_ her! It was- was somebody else! People come into this fucking universe all the time!"

"This is barbaric! How did this happen!" Rexy and his high ranking troopers were in shock and the Droids calculations couldn't detect who was saying the truth in this.

"It matters not what you think, Andrew. The point is, Kovu is dead by _her_ hands, and if you don't hand her over, then we will burn worlds and rend stars until either you surrender, or she is dead." Caesarius said coldly.

"You have a choice." Jack then added. "Her head, or your entire kingdom. I'll have one or the other, I don't _care_ which."

"Drew...you must find her and get her to speak! Else it will cost us many, many lives! Many fathers, mothers, children, families and friends will die!" Rexy said clearly aware of the situation, ,having had recent reports of ballistic missile launch sites having been built in Colossus. Drew was stunned. He didn't know what to say. After much internal debate, and after choosing his next move carefully, he said,

"Find her.. Send her in."

"Good." Jack said. "She will have her chance to defend herself." Drew merely growled under his breath. He wasn't gonna say anything else to make things worse.

' _Their time will come..'_ He thought.

"May I suggest something?" Alex rose from his chair.

"By all means," Jack replied.

"Who says that this must end in either death or war? I have seen and felt grief many times in my short life, but what I have learned is to somehow use your grief to think rationally. It may sound… irrational, but I believe that to wish for ultimatums and bargains is very close-minded. I think the answer is diplomacy, more than a video link. We need to settle an agreement so that the murderer of this… most unfortunate and innocent cub can face justice. There is no greater virtue than forgiveness instead of vengeance," Alex spoke, and when he finished, everyone in his venue nodded, and even some Imperial officers couldn't help but agree.

Jack looked at Alex. "You're asking me to just forgive the _second_ murder of an innocent child in two weeks?! I have tolerated this for far too long. I have been _far_ too forgiving. Why should I even ask for your _permission_ to enforce justice? My son is dead, conveniently by the same weapon Jade used, alongside the same person who already threw their lot in with traitors!"

Alex chuckled. "See, this is why I was hesitant at aligning myself with this side. Sides only lead to… betrayal, suffering, death… while I agree that one is innocent until proven guilty, and there appears to be irrefutable evidence, can we not consider other factors? Fingerprints? Surveillance? God, I sound like Sherlock…" Alex said. "Have you ever craved revenge for something so badly… only to realise that vengeance does not make you any better than they who have wronged you?" he asked. A tear came from his eye, possibly recalling a memory in which he had experienced the wish for vengeance and the consequent enlightenment.

Jack looked at Alex coldly. "I have all the evidence I need. Now...hand. Her. over!"

He then turned to Drew. "What will it be?" Drew's response was instant. He stood up out of his chair, faced Jack and held up both middle fingers. Alex's head fell in his hands.

"You're not getting _anyone_! Go to hell. Bring it, bitch!"

Jack then smirked. "Then, as the wheel turns, New Edenia dies."

Then, the transmission ended.

"THAT WAS A BAD CALL! WAR IS IMMINENT! AND IT WILL BE COSTLY! WE MUST GET ALL CIVILIANS TO SAFETY! CHILDREN FIRST!

"Drew!"

Siriulilus rushed into the room with reports. "The Imperial fleet is incoming. A Dreadnought is leading its fleet towards the border as we speak. We need to mobilize now." Drew looked at him and commanded,

"Then do it! Mobilize all forces you can! We ain't letting these bastards win _that_ easily!"

Rexy smiled as and his troopers got up along with their droids as he said "If it's a fight what they want, I hope they don't use such a shitty soldier as the Imperial… _Stormtroopers"_

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 **Northern Ridge, five hours later, No POV**

Admiral Palenix of the Dreadnought _Annihilator_ watched with interest as the expected rebel army began to assemble just out of range. So they were going to confront them directly…

"Begin landing the ground troops." He ordered. His executive officer blinked.

"Why not destroy them with an aerial bombardment?"

Palenix shook his head. "That's why."

A shield went up around the area. It would deflect the air attack.

"Jack, your army ready?" He then asked.

"Yes. Now this ends."

An army of twenty thousand Imperial and American soldiers assembled in the plains a half mile from the shield. "Send in the Infantry!"

Meanwhile the 4 Lucrehulks began to deploy their complements as well as AATs and MTTs disembarked along with Homing Spider Droids, and Hailfire droids, but the real threath were the Skorpeneks and Droid Supertanks….behemoths of death that each had unique feature...and Rexy seemed to have plenty of them.

Somewhere else Rexy seemed to be talking to several holograms as he said "I know brothers...but you will have to delay your arrivals….same with you commander...though you have grown alot since i last saw you….and i'm surprised the hermit is still alive….i will contact you later"

Jack grinned. "Pathetic."

He stepped forward, and gestured his new lightsaber to the shield. "Advance!"

The ground began to shake as the army began its advance, tanks pressed forward.

 **Drew's POV**

I stood and watched as my army advanced forward towards Imperial forces. It didn't take long for casualties to occur. I'd see one of my men fall, then one Imperial.. Then another man would die, and 2 _more_ would share the same fate seconds later! It was fucking madness! I sighed. I didn't want this war, but Jack keeps escalating things _too_ far!

Then, the Imperial army halted. Then the tanks began pushing forward. So far, most casualties were due to artillery fire, but now, finally, we were in rifle range. And it was showing. At the very front, I could hear gunshots and cannon fire.

Behind me, I heard a strange noise. It sounded like a jet, but it was as if it had smaller thrusters. I looked behind me and to my astonishment and slight relief, I saw a mechanism that hovered in the air thanks to its repulsors in its arms and feet. The machine slowly descended, walked between the aisle left by the soldiers who parted to make a path for the machine. It was coated in an armour that bore colours of light blue, white and silver with a chrome effect. The head of the machine opened up, and I saw the face of Alex.

"Alex! What is that? What are you doing here?" I asked.

"This is the A-MAX Shadowslayer Mark III, designed and built by Tony Stark, King T'Challa and Princess Shuri of Wakanda. It's pretty neat, and it's so comfortable!" Alex explained.

"Right, but why are you here?" I reiterated.

"I came here to help you. I believe in liberty, peace and justice, and the Empire cannot offer it, so I shall fight for who shall protect these rights," Alex replied.

"Thank you, New Edenia and I owe you big time."

Then, a single figure stepped forward, and rushed towards our lines, his men following.. It...it was Jack.

He blocked every bullet, and his men followed, Through all the rifle fire, they persisted. Following their Emperor.

At the same time the droid army readied up as the droid at the lead said "FOR THE GRAND ARMY OF THE REPUBLIC AND THE DECEASED SEPARATIST ALLIANCE!" The droids marched...these weren't default...these had been all upgraded to deadly machines and to horror of many 2 droids among them were mercilessly slicing,gutting,dismembering and shooting enemy troops all while sadistically singing and laughing...one was a b1 that was wearing guts and bones as decoration as the other was a HK unit.

Gunshots were exchanged between armies all along the front lines, however, the Empire seemed to be focusing their efforts on one spot. The spot Jack was attacking.

Then Rexy's clone troopers arrived to my relief..charging with various types of walkers and Repulsorlift vehicles.

Beside the Imperials, several new soldiers rushed forward. The Mendel, a new inhabitant and who we thought would be neutral, charged in, wearing their heavy plated armor and jetpacks, their bodies covered in Blue, Green and Red paint. Many were armed with advanced Pulse Rifles, firing destructive blue bolts of energy down at their targets, while many brandished Long Claymores and axes in battle. Along the flanks, charged the Orgaat, the reptilian beasts barking and calling into the sky, rifles and spears readied. Mendel Tanks, carried by repulsorlift came in behind, firing Railgun and Mass Driver shots into the ranks of their foes. In the skies, alongside the Jetpack-mounted Mendel Warriors, came numerous insectoid Kamaside, firing their Crystal guns into the foes as they closed.

Alex launched several metres into the air, and used his repulsors to fire blasts of energy. He incapacitated and even killed some of the soldiers, but the heavily armed units would require more than a simple repulsor blast. He flew towards the Mendel and engaged multiple targets with the missiles that would launch from his arm. They were fired and hit their targets with deadly accuracy and in one fell swoop, twelve Mendel soldiers were killed. Those that remained shouted and yelled curses and oaths in his direction.

Then, I heard something.

"Traitor!"

I turned, and saw Jack approaching.

He grinned viciously, his eyes glowing a sickly yellow.

He stopped, and raised his weapon. "Any last words?" He asked me.

Then, everyone stopped. The fighting halted, as Jack closed in on me. I looked on with an expression of murderous intent.

"I'd love to see you try! You aren't brave enough to go one on one!"

Jack nodded. "I don't _need_ anyone or anything to kill you!"

All I held up as a weapon was my bare fists.

"I don't need a weapon to kill you!" I yelled with a vicious grin. "This'll be fun!"

Jack then deactivated his lightsaber, and rushed forward, with nothing but his fists. The same as me.

He swung his fist at me. It connected hard. I stumbled backwards, barely catching myself from falling. My vision was blurry, but I quickly recovered.

"My turn, bitch!" I threw a hard overhand that connected squarely on the button of Jack's chin.

He wiped the blood from his mouth, before laughing. "You can do better than that." He then rushed forward and began to rain blows onto me in every direction and in rapid succession, with unnatural speed. After several seconds of this, I was in absolute pain! I would lose this fight if I didn't act upon what I learned _now_!

Then, I felt myself being lifted into the air. Jack held up his hand, and slammed me to the ground with great force. I could do nothing but laugh. It grew increasingly louder as he kept slamming me.

"Figured as much! A pussy such as yourself _would_ use the Force! Can't win a fist fight!"

Jack stopped again, before he delivered a deadly kick to my face, before grabbing my head and slamming his knee into it, knocking me to the ground. "A pity you lack the training for anything but the simplest moves. You're strong," he laughed, before grabbing my throat.

"But not strong enough." He then dropped me to the ground. I slowly began to stand back up with a chuckle.

"This was just the distraction I needed."

The shield generator blew up, and the Star Destroyers moved in. "Now..." He said.

"Justice has been served."

With that, he held up his hand. Shuttles began to descend, and the Imperial troops began to withdraw.

He then turned, and pulled up a hologram. "While you were gone, my ships moved against your capital."

On the hologram, a dozen Star Destroyers and a Dreadnought loomed over our beloved home.

"Now that I have shown the superiority of my Empire, we will withdraw, and let your pathetic kingdom survive. Consider this a warning. You exist because I allow it. I am showing you mercy. Don't betray me again."

With that, Jack turned, and walked off. His troops were already withdrawing. I was helped to my feet, severely wounded, by Siriulilus and Apollo. They held me up so that I wouldn't fall, and we all simply watched as Jack and his troops moved away.

I sighed in defeat.

"They're too strong.. _Jack_ , is too strong.. I _lost_ that fight like a little bitch! I let my men die for nothing! I'm so ashamed in myself.." A tear of sadness, guilt, and defeat rolled down my face.

"You still led the men into battle. That's something most leaders would never do." Apollo pointed out. I turned around and yelled,

"Led them into what? A _death trap_!? Because of _my_ stubbornness, because of _my_ anger, and because of my friendship with Jade, I led our men into a ridiculous conflict that could've gotten us _all_ killed!" There was silence, and I sighed in sadness. "I'm sorry, Apollo.. I just hate myself for this.. I let you all down.."

Jack stopped, it seemed he was listening to all this. He then turned around. "You fought well. But know that this was an act of _mercy_. I had _all_ the cards in my hand, and I _chose_ not to destroy each and every one of you. I _chose_ to spare you." I merely looked over at Jack with a scowl.

"I don't care! Leave me be.." I finished softly.

Jack then walked over, and grabbed me by my shirt. "You better care, otherwise, I will continue to punish your kingdom. Until you know just how much your actions and that of your friends tore my people apart. Tore my _family_ apart."

I said nothing. I didn't feel much like talking anyways.. I was too disappointed in my actions still..

Turning to Siriulilus and Apollo, I motioned for them to take me back to New Colossus.. Or what was _left_..

"Begone, Emperor! You are but a naive child, drunk on power who cares only for his needs. I know your type… arrogant, foolish," Alex yelled angrily.

Jack stopped, "You wouldn't be saying that if you knew what _caused_ them to leave." I immediately interjected.

"Alex!" I yelled. With a deep breath, he softly finished, "Enough.. They are too powerful for us to defeat.. Let's not escalate anything more.."

Alex nodded. "I alone hold great power, but it is futile when I am alone." I nodded in understanding.

Jack walked back. "I am offering you a chance for peace. I will hand you the territory between the Dilanian River and the Northern Ridge. We have no need for it. We will also recognize your kingdom as a sovereign nation, and will not intervene in your affairs. We gain nothing from this peace, but you gain everything."

He then stopped. "But if you refuse, this war will continue. And I will return to New Colossus, and won't be so forgiving."

I said nothing. All was silent and still. The silence was eerie.

 **No POV**

Something was being plotted in Drew's head! What it was, only he knew.

Jack looked at Drew, awaiting his answer. But still: nothing but silence.

Jack sighed. "You have three days to consider." After several more seconds of silence, Drew finally said,

"Okay…" It was said with a blank expression, almost robotically! It was _creepy_..

Jack seemed a little perplex by this, but nodded. He then turned to leave.

"Take me home.." Drew told Siriulilus and Apollo. They immediately did so, and everyone reentered the New Edenian capital, defeated..

When they got there, they saw that nothing had befallen the capital. Sure, the Imperial ships were there, but not a shot had been fired.

As they approached Drew's new residence, he stopped them at the door.

"Thanks, guys.. This is far enough. I can make it from here.." Drew said. The pain and depression of his loss and actions was still really evident in his voice. The two were about to say something, but decided against it. They merely shrugged and went on their way.

As he walked inside the house, he immediately heard the sounds of crying. He gasped and quickly ran towards the source of the sounds. He knew right then and there who it was. It was Adia! She was laying down where she slept and didn't appear to be stopping.

"Adia.." Drew calmly called out. "Are you oka-" Adia jerked around and faced him with an angry expression.

"Why! Why would you _do_ this!? How could you let this _happen_!?" He was stunned, and his eyes were widened.

"I- What did I-"

"You know _damn_ well what you did!" She cursed. "You _let_ Kovu die! You _let_ that assassin kill him in cold blood!" Adia was clearly referring to Jade. She got up and looked him dead in the eye.

"Then you lead innocent men into _battle_ over this woman! What is _wrong_ with you!?" Drew's heart was slowly deteriorating. Tears were forming in both of their eyes.

"Adia I- I'm sorr-"

"You're _sorry_!?" She interrupted. "My brother is _dead_ because you let this happen, and you're _sorry_!?" Adia began to walk out the door, before turning around and finished,

"I never wanna see you again! I _hate_ you!" With that, she stormed out in tears, leaving Drew alone. His heart _shattered_ into many pieces right then and there. If his depression wasn't bad enough before, it _certainly_ was now!

" _You did this..._ " A voice in the back of Drew's head snarled. " _I know what you did. Be thankful he's more merciful than I!_ " Drew immediately knew it to be Tyromairon.

" _You know he was innocent. And yet you let her kill him anyway. You just destroyed every bit of moral high-ground you had. You are the very thing you swore you'd destroy here. You are the. Same. As. Jack._ " That was it! That was the last straw! This _had_ to end now!

"Enough!" Drew screamed to the voice of Tyromairon.

"You cannot escape your fate!" The voice thundered. "I have no idea why Jack wants peace. Perhaps it is the fact that he misses his brother, and saw a bit of you in him. I admit I don't know. But know that he trusted you, and it was you who turned against him!" Drew stood in silence for a few seconds, before saying,

"If it's peace he wants.." He began. "Then it's peace he'll _get_! After tonight, peace will reign between our 2 nations.. Be certain of that.."

There was silence. "Do not provoke us again...If you do, then I tell him _everything_." Drew sighed, and immediately replied,

"I won't provoke you again.." He sniffled and continued. "I won't provoke _anyone_ again.." With that, Drew stormed out the door and into the night, seemingly going somewhere.

 **Drew's POV**

Here I was… The Great Chasm of the Badlands.. Looking down into the jagged rocks below, I'd say it was a good 500 foot drop!

If you stared directly down into it, you would begin to feel the vertigo hit you and feel woozy! With a gulp, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

It _had_ to be done!

I knelt down and recited the Lord's Prayer, as was tradition in my family, and afterwards, I actually began to recite my own personal prayer.

"Father hear my name.. Forgive me for what is about to be _done_!.. Protect the ones I leave behind, including my sister and daughter who I love with all my heart.." He sighed and then continued.

"But the burden of living in this cursed place.. The burden of living among a tyrant who you _just_ can't stop! When your own _family_ turns against you.. I just can't take it anymore.. Release me from this constant torment of my life.." Looking up into the night sky, crickets chirping and the stars shining, he finished,

"In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.." Standing to my feet, I turned my back to the chasm and held my arms out to my side. I closed my eyes and lastly said,

"See you on the other side John and Mom.." With that, I let gravity do the rest.. I fell at a rapid pace, yet it all felt like slow motion. My life flashed before my eyes. It was all instantaneous. At long last, I would soon finally be at peace.

The sound of a thud and the ripping of flesh echoed throughout the chasm. Silence followed..


	14. Chapter 14, No Going Back

**A/N: I've decided to combine the previous chapters into one. Also, edited out some behind the scenes conversations. :)**

 **Jade's POV**

I had to have some space.. Don't get me wrong, Drew is an amazing friend, and his daughter is enjoyable as well, but the rest of them can give you a headache! I still don't fully trust them, and I've been here for _months_ now! Drew is by far the only one who has earned my trust. He and I are very much alike, and he's done a lot for me even when I haven't given him much in return..

He is a noble leader, father, and friend! I suppose now was a better time than any to head back.. I was a couple miles away from the capital of New Edenia, and I started to walk back, bow staff in hand. Just as I started to go by the Great Chasm, I caught something from the corner of my eye.

' _Strange..'_ I thought with a cocked brow. I stepped a bit closer to investigate and saw that it was a person impaled through a jagged rock. ' _Poor mortal..'_ However, upon taking a closer look at the motionless body, I saw that it looked _very_ familiar. I gasped in shock with my eyes widened and yelled in panic,

"DREW!?" I performed a frontwards flip off the edge of the chasm and used my bowstaff to jab it into the edge of the cliff, as to break my fall. Stopping my fall, and slowly stepping onto safer ground, I made my way as fast as I could to his body. Once I made it there, I called out his name again. "DREW!"

No response. I felt for a heartbeat, and felt the _faintest_ one, giving me a little bit of hope. I knew I had to act fast, or else he wouldn't last long! He was impaled straight through his gut, and he was losing blood quickly! That was gonna leave a large scar if he survives this ordeal.. Picking him up off the rock, I heard the sound of flesh ripping off of it.

I held him over my shoulder and leapt up to a good point where my staff would reach. I got it good enough to where it was anchored into the cliff. I did this all the way to the top. Once up, I ran as fast as I could to New Colossus.

' _Please be okay..'_ I thought. ' _I've already lost one friend. I will NOT lose another!'_

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 **Jack's POV**

This...was awful!

I hated myself. After all that happened, I had let my son die, and I had destroyed any chance I had of making peace with my brother. This battle was completely my fault.

" _Everything here is my fault_."

It felt strange saying that. After all that denial, all that hate, I had finally come to terms that I was in the wrong here. My response for the tragedy was to start a war and drive away the closest thing I had to a brother.

I had done terrible things. I had committed crimes I could not atone for. And now…

I stopped. "This is _my_ fault, but I can try to start making amends..." I realized. I sighed. "Killing them won't bring Kovu back, and..."

I smiled a little. "I can still try to make this right."

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 **Jade's POV**

I stormed into the hospital that I knew was recently built and yelled,

"We need medical assistance _now_!" A couple of doctors ran to the front and saw the wounded King.

"Oh my God! What happened to him!?" A frightened nurse yelled. I was beginning to get agitated and growled,

"There is no _time_ for this! Give him help _now_! Before it's too late!" The doctors immediately complied and pulled out a stretcher from the back. They rolled him back there and left me standing there alone. I exited the hospital with a sigh. Looking down in sadness, I was wondering why Drew would wanna _commit_ such an act! The way he was positioned was clearly that of an attempted suicide.. If he was pushed, it would've had a way sloppier landing. It probably would've killed him instantly!

Who could've caused this poor soul to do such a thing!? I stopped dead in my tracks and held an angered expression.

' _Of COURSE! Anderson and his tyrannic Empire! They are NO better than Kahn and Outworld!'_

I thought.

They would pay for this! But especially Jack.. He would go so far as to mentally torture him enough as to want to drive him to SUICIDE!? How much of a monster does one have to be!? Regardless, he was gonna pay with his life!

If I was gonna lose another friend, and his daughter a father, then I was gonna even the score! I spun my bow staff around and prepared it for a killing blow. Soon after, I walked in the direction I knew the Empire was.

"Time to show all that Outworld has taught me!.." I said aloud.

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 **Jack's POV**

I kept walking home, seeing the city in the distance.

 **Jade's POV**

I saw him. The tyrant was alone, and exposed. This would be easy. Or so it seemed.. Was this a trap!? I had to make sure.. I hid behind a nearby hill and stalked my target. He was just alone.. walking towards his capital.

I looked around for _any_ sort of sniper or hidden assassin, but I couldn't make one out.. He was _very_ alone, and _very_ vulnerable. I still had my angered expression and closed in for the kill.

' _No!'_ I thought. ' _I want him to suffer! I want him to feel pain just as Drew did!'_ I took out the ceremonial fans that Kitana gave me long ago, but don't be fooled by their beauty. They are actually _razor_ sharp! They can cut your head clean off if thrown right! I positioned and aimed my fan until Jack was at _just_ the right angle.

"Gotcha.." I muttered. I threw the fans full force, and they both impaled _deep_ into his body! One was stuck in his side, and the other in his left arm. He fell to the ground with a surprised yelp and

he groaned in pain.

He looked towards me, and his expression shifted to one of...fear.

"You..." He gasped. I walked towards him aggressively, pulling out my bow staff.

"Yes, _me_!" I yelled. Once I got close to him I whacked him once in the head with my staff. "I oughta kill you right now!"

He cried out in pain. "For what? Your pitiful boyfriend? Go ahead. At least I'll be with my son, who _you_ murdered!" I widened my eyes at such a claim.

"I _didn't_ kill your son you _idiot_! I was just outside the Badlands _all_ day! Close to the Great Chasm!"

"Then why did I find the same wounds on him that your weapon caused? You're the same as me. A killer, and a coward! For going after an innocent child! You're the same as the lions who killed that girl!" I pulled him by the shirt and pulled the fan out of his arm, holding it to his neck. Blood dripped out of his arm like a river.

"Let's get one thing straight!" I said. "I would _never_ kill an innocent child! I was raised since birth to _protect_ a child! My very best friend, Kitana! A killer I may be, but not of children! Your accusations are in the wrong! Someone else is your culprit, not me! I don't know why the imprints were of my staff, but there are _many_ staffs made in the world you know! There _isn't_ just one!"

"Lies! So go ahead! Kill the great tyrant! Prove to me that you're the very thing I thought you all were! Murderers, traitors, and _criminals_! Kill me!" He looked at me with wild, completely yellow eyes. His skin, it was completely pale, and sickly. He was changing before my eyes, into a horrifying, disfigured creature that masqueraded as a human. With an expression of pure rage, I snapped,

" _You're_ the _true_ criminal here! Drew _killed_ himself just recently!"

Jack's eyes changed back to their normal color. "Then will you do me a favor and end it? For him? Whether you believe it or not, I still think of him as a brother, and it broke me when he sided with them. I've lost everything, my son, my brother _s_ , my home, everything. Just...show me mercy and end it." I chuckled wickedly.

"Oh, I'll _end_ it alright!" I took both my fans out of his body. "But _not_ in the way you want it!" I sliced both my fans across his stomach, causing blood and his guts to hang out. His blood curdling screams of agony was rather satisfying.. Finally he gets what he deserves..

"I'll leave you to the buzzards.." I wickedly stated.

Then, I heard it, the calls of the _Velociraptors_. I turned, and saw them approaching, circling the broken, dying tyrant before me. I immediately took out my bow staff, prepared to kill if necessary.

Then, I realized, they weren't after me…

They were waiting for an opportunity to get at the wounded prey. I smirked under my mask and told them,

"Have at it.."

I moved aside, and for a split second, I saw, barely conscious, Jack's eyes widen. He knew what was coming…

One of the raptors rushed forward, and leapt on top of him. Jack screamed as it began to eat. It wasn't bothering... with killing him first.

I smirked, and walked off. If Drew didn't make it through the night… at least my friend will be avenged..

 **Drew's POV**

A bright white light blinded my vision! Could it be?... Could I be in Heaven? Was I dead? I walked through some grass in what looked like a forest area. The birds were chirping, there was sounds of water, and there was flowers all around! It looked _beautiful_! Certainly not what I imagined, but it was still pure beauty if I ever saw it! I walked down the linear forest path until I reached a lone house.

Wait a minute!

Was _that_?

That was _my_ house! The one me, Kenzi, Mom, and John lived in! I didn't hesitate to open the front door, and inside, there they both were!

"M- Mom? Dad? Is that really you?.." They both smiled and my Dad replied,

"It's us, Son.. We're so glad to finally see you again.." I gave them both a big hug with tears

falling down my face.

"We both missed you so much.." Mom said. I sniffled and replied,

"I missed you too.." After what seemed like minutes, we finally pulled away.

"Isn't this great!" I excitedly said. "I finally get to see you both again and-" I cut myself off when I noticed their expressions looked troubled.

"W- What's wrong?.." Dad stepped forward with a sigh and regretfully, yet bluntly told me,

"It isn't your time yet, Son.." I widened my eyes and shook my head in denial.

"What- What do you mean!? Of _course_ it is! I don't understand! I-"

"Drew.." Mom said while putting her hand on my shoulder. "There is still much you have to complete among the living first.. Your destiny has not been fulfilled.. It's not your time."

I sighed and closed my eyes in sadness. I knew it was too good to be true.

"But what of my body?" I asked. "It's gotta be torn to pieces!"

"Your physical body will recover." Dad said. "But your mental one will never truly recover without doing what you were destined to do.." They both smiled and he finished, "We'll all be together again one day! _All_ of us!.." I smiled at that. Was he _also_ referring to Adia? Who knows..

My expression then went back to that of sadness and worry.

' _Adia..'_ I thought. I worry about that girl.. Knowing my time was almost up, I smiled and said,

"I love you Mom! I love you Dad! See you later!" My parents both smiled and said,

"We love you too, Son!" With that, the bright white light took over my vision once more.

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 **Carandial's POV**

I sighed, where was he?

C.G told me he never came back last night. She told me he said he'd be back in an hour, and yet he never arrived.

I was getting worried. If he was out there somewhere all night…

I sighed. _I'm the Admiral of the Imperial Navy, I can't get worried about this. He's probably_ …

I froze.

No…

Was...was that him?!

I could see a mangled, bloody body lying on the ground maybe fifty feet away.

I inched closer, and I realized, with horror, that it _was_ the Emperor.

I was too shocked for words…

He...was gone…

His body was a tangled, bloody mess, yet I could still see his face. It showed an expression of

agony.

It looked like the raptors got him. Strange, they weren't known for their attacks on

sentients...why would…

I sighed, and stood over the body. _My emperor…_

For the first time in my life, I, a proud, stoic, Basileus, and Imperial, was speechless. Jack…

In that moment, I realized something. He wasn't just an Emperor or a leader to be followed, he was my closest friend, and someone who had accepted me and my people without a second though, who led us through thick and thin, to victory on three occasions. He was _gone_.

I looked down, and said. "Forgive me, my Emperor, my _friend_. Thank you, for everything."

I turned away. "Caesarius?" I asked, my voice cracking on the communicator.

"Carandial? What is it?"

"It's...I found him..."

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 **No POV**

Caesarius, Carandial, C.G, and Kylie looked at...him. At the broken, mangled body of him. An emperor, a leader, a love, a father…

Kylie was silent, her face blank. It was like she wasn't processing what happened.

"D-daddy?" She whimpered.

No response. "Dad?" Kylie asked, her voice cracking.

"Daddy, please..."

No response.

C.G put a hand on the young girl's shoulder.

"No!" Kylie cried.

She began to run in the desert.

"Kylie!" The three yelled, but it was too late. She was gone.

"You have to talk to her." Carandial said.

C.G turned. "How...how can I?! I am pregnant with his child, and this happens?! How can I tell her that her father was _eaten_?!"

Caesarius took a step forward.

"You _have_ to! You're _all_ she has left!"

C.G blinked. "I am not-"

"You _have_ to be!" Carandial declared. "She needs _someone_ right now."

C.G opened her mouth to respond, but couldn't find the words to.

She looked away, and turned.

"Kylie!" She called.

When she got up the hill, she saw the young girl on the ground, bawling her eyes out.

She carefully approached, looking at the broken girl.

"Kylie?"

"Go away!" Kylie cried.

C.G sighed, and sat beside her, before pulled close. Kylie thrashed in her grasp. "No! He's not dead! He can't be!" She screamed.

C.G pulled her into a hug.

Kylie fell silent, before she began to sob softly.

"Why?" She asked softly.

C.G felt her heart break at that.

"I...don't know."

It was horrible to admit that. That she didn't know _what, how,_ or _why this happened_. It was like _admitting_ he was dead.

C.G looked away.

"He's really gone isn't he?"

C.G turned back to Kylie and looked at her with a resigned, broken expression.

C.G knew that there needed to be no explanation. Kylie _knew_.

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 **Caesarius' POV**

As we returned, there was utter, deafening silence in the capital. Not a sound was heard as we arrived. The soldiers opening the gate did so with utterly broken expressions. Already, a crowd was gathering as they realized what had happened.

The news spread quickly. Within minutes, the crowd was following us slowly, as we continued our silent march towards the palace.

The casket was draped in an Imperial flag, and soldiers formed an honor guard around it. None of our famous marching tunes were being played, no weapons held in disciplined salute. The men, just marched with their arms slumped to their sides, not even marching, just walking with the crowd.

Not a word was said. Not a word needed to be said. They knew what happened. The Emperor was dead.

As we approached, the leaders of the government arrived to greet us, but they two were silent when they recognized what was going on. It was as if the moment we came into view, _everyone_ knew who lay inside the coffin.

Several candles were already being lit by the crowd, and the sky was a drab gray, looking as if it might rain.

Even Tyromairon himself, the stoic, callous, emotionless former Emperor, seemed perturbed by what happened. He stood in the open, alongside the rest of the government. I turned to see Carandial walking beside Kylie and C.G.

Both girls were silently crying, while Carandial himself, held a forced, monotone expression.

Finally, we reached the cemetery.

The entire empire was gathered at the gates, looking on as we all neared the grave.

I stopped. I turned, and looked to everyone.

"Lo-"

I couldn't bring myself to say it. I _couldn't_. Not this time.

Then, I saw Simba and Nala run up through the crowd, both looking utterly thunderstruck.

I saw tears forming in both of their eyes.

I knew that I had to finish what I had begun to say. For _their_ sake.

"Long...live...the...emperor."

"Long live the emperor." A few people replied, but it was a broken, shallow response. Not

uttered with patriotic fervor as it had been so many times now, but with little conviction, and no

hope.

The casket was slowly lowered in.

The silence continued to linger. No one could bring themselves to say anything. It was as if

 _everyone_ there, lost a loved one.

I turned, and looked away. I couldn't watch this.

"I promise, my Emperor. I promise you, _Jack_ , that you will be remembered. I swear it. I don't

know what history will call you, but in the eyes of the empire, you will be Jack… the Great."

 **Kylie's POV**

 _Where are you daddy?_

I sat at the window, watching the rain gently tap against the window. It was as if God himself was crying.

Simba told me something about how the Great Kings of the Past always looked down on us from the stars. Despite the whole incident…

Maybe he was right.

It was late.

Everyone else had gone to bed. I just couldn't sleep. Everytime I close my eyes, I see _him_.

 _I miss you daddy…_

I felt tears roll down my face, mirroring the rain falling to the ground outside. I missed him so much. He _was_ my daddy. Not those horrible people who were my biological parents.

Honestly, I barely remembered my old life. The Empire, the capital, Chimaera, C.G and dad, Kovu, it was my life. I felt like it had always been.

 _Why…_

"Are you alright?"

I turned to see...Tyromairon looking at me, barely visible amidst the darkened room.

I swear I could hear a lack of conviction and hope in his voice. He sounded almost depressed asking that.

I looked down, and began to slowly sob. "I miss him..." I whimpered.

I slammed my hand on the table. "Why'd he have to die?!" I sobbed.

I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"He loved you. Don't forget that." Tyromairon whispered. "He will always be with you. And he will always watch over you. Our physical shells are but fleeting sparks, but our _souls_ last forever."

I smiled, and did the unthinkable. I _hugged_ the most feared being in Cyrannian history. He seemed genuinely shocked by that, but gently wrapped an arm around me.

"It's...it's alright." He whispered soothingly. I closed my eyes, and continued to cry softly.

"Thanks Anteddy."

He blinked. "What?"

"Well...dad said your old name was Antediluvianas, so..."

He looked, before smiling slightly.

It was then that I heard someone's voice say,

"Your father would be proud.."

I turned to see...Kenzi…

Her expression was one of…

I couldn't tell.. It was like a whole _mixture_ of emotions! Sadness, anger, regret, just a lot! Right now she was leaning more towards 'sadness'.

"What do you want?" I asked. Kenzi shook her head.

"I don't want anything really.." She then walked a bit closer. "But I _do_ want you to know that we all loved your Dad very much.. Me, Drew, Adia, everyone did.. We had our differences near the end, but I could still tell deep down that the Jack we knew and loved was still in there somewhere.."

"The Jack you knew was still there, you just failed to see it. And don't lie to me. I knew you hated him." I snapped. "Why should I believe you when you say that you loved him, when it was probably your brother who ordered his death!" She shrugged.

"Believe me, don't believe me.. I don't really give a shit.. What _does_ matter is that I know I'm telling the truth. Yes, I _did_ hate him for a bit.. I thought his actions to be cruel and unusual!" She paused and then sighed. "But I knew it wasn't really him.. The one we first met all those months ago.. He was still in there, but the stress of having to rule an entire Empire must get to you after awhile.. He wasn't thinking rationally.."

"Because of _your_ brother!" I yelled. "The fact that Drew sided with them destroyed him! Dad _loved_ him like a brother, and it broke him! And then Drew refused to hand over my brother's _killer_! Why do you think dad went insane ?!" She shook her head.

"There's no hard _proof_ that it was Jade that did it.. Besides the fact that the imprints matched that of her staff.. But answer me this, and be honest.."

I looked at her angrily.

"What?" I snapped, waiting for her answer.

"With all these people entering this universe all the time, and with the technology that we have, including the replicators, don't you think it's at _least_ possible, that maybe, _just_ maybe, that someone created her exact staff to frame her for murder? To start a war?"

"And what if it _was_ her? Dad just let her go free, and he's been offering your brother olive branch after olive branch since that happened! The reason he reacted so harshly was because him and Mufasa refused his much more _lenient_ offers, and he _had_ to enforce his laws. The reason he shot Drew was because Drew _sided_ with _murderers_!" Kenzi rolled her eyes.

"You still refuse to see reason.. That isn't a good reason to shoot someone and send them to their death! Okay, the offers he made was fair. I'll _give_ you that one.. I agree. But don't you think there could be more than meets the eye to your brother's killer? Don't you think that the Galactic Empire or someone else could've set that up to turn us _against_ each other? It would only make it easier for them to win.."

"It would also make it easier if he _sided with_ Palpatine." I said. "And Drew was against dad even _before_ Akase murdered that girl. He wallowed in self pity while dad tried his best to keep everyone together! He built an empire while Drew ignored his daughter! Even after all the shit Drew put him through, he _still_ tried to make things right! I will _always_ love my father, and before he died, he still loved your brother. But we all know your brother probably let him die, because he _always_ hated my dad!" I screamed. Kenzi now started to look pissed!

"You know _nothing_ we had to go through before you came here! We were here _months_ before that! Drew didn't wallow in self pity for no good reason! He _didn't_ ignore his daughter! He had _responsibilities_ he had to fulfill that required him to be away often! You know who loved Drew also? Your _brother_! Even after this shitstorm occurred, who remembered the good times? Kovu. Who still saw good in all of us? _Kovu_! Why would Drew let Kovu's killer just walk away like that? He _wouldn't_! He loved that cub and you _know_ it! If he didn't have any solid proof, he would've _found_ some! He doesn't try to defend what can't be rightfully defended! That's _not_ who he is!"

I looked at her. "I have no idea what he went through?!" I screamed. "You have no idea what _I_ went through before this! At least you got _one_ parent who loved you! At least you had a _brother_ who loved you! I had _none_ of that! Dad was the only person in my _life_ who ever loved me, and now he's dead! My dad is _dead_! My brother is dead! And your brother _never_ saw the good in him after he left. I bet he's probably celebrating right now! It would make sense, considering what he said! I was _beaten_ by _both_ my biological parents! I was _neglected_ by _both_ my biological parents! I had to pretend I was something I'm not for _both_ my biological parents, and you don't understand how much dad cared for _everyone_ here! Even the Pridelanders, who _refused_ to follow his laws despite agreeing to them! He _didn't_ deserve what he got! And he most certainly didn't deserve the treatment you and your brother gave him!" Kenzi merely shook her head and began to walk away.

"Such bias.." She said on her way out. "I won't be able to reason with you.. So what's the point?"

"Perhaps this will shed light on what happened?" Tyromairon finally interjected. He held up his hand, revealing a small mist that showed Jack walking home. And, approaching, barely noticeable, was Jade.

That moment, I _knew_ what happened. I _knew_ how he died. He wasn't hunted by raptors. He was _murdered_ by Drew's girlfriend…

My daddy...was murdered...by Drew's girlfriend.

He was left to die a horrible death...by Drew's girlfriend.

I had lost my father...because of Drew's girlfriend…

I turned to Kenzi.

"So they all loved my dad huh?!" I said blankly. Kenzi was in shock. She held an expression of surprise and she didn't quite know how to respond.

"There- There _has_ to be an explanation behind this! Could that be _real_!?"

"Your brother's girlfriend _murdered_ her father." Tyromairon said simply.

"And you know it..." He added.

"What..."

Then I saw C.G, Carandial, and Caesarius on the stairs, all looking in _utter_ shock.

The look on C.G's face was one of utter horror, being replaced by a look of abject _rage_.

She turned to Carandial.

"Destroy New Edenia." She hissed. " _All_ of it. _All_ those who support it. For _him_." Kenzi shook her head with tears in her eyes.

"No!" She yelled. "You can't do this! It's barbaric!"

C.G turned to the younger girl. She then looked down. "Fine. Your brother will survive, but his girlfriend will _die_ for this. Either he hands her over, or we _will_ invade. And don't expect _any_ mercy this time."

"Adia will _not_ be harmed either! She's done nothing wrong! Say what you will, but Jack _loved_ that girl!"

C.G looked to the girl. "And what am I supposed to do if he _doesn't_ hand her over?"

"I will _not_ let her father's killer get away with this. _Especially_ after _how_ she did it. _No-one_ deserves that! That was a primitive, barbaric, sadistic act of revenge, betrayal, and _hate_. We will _not_ harm the civilians or Drew or the cubs, but she _will_ be brought to justice!" C.G. said. Kenzi said nothing more.

C.G then turned. "We've been too lenient with these traitors, now they will experience the consequences of their actions. Jack _will_ be avenged. Contact them! One chance, one choice, and only _unconditional_ surrender if they resist. No negotiations. Not after what she did."

She then walked to Kenzi. "I'm sorry, but what she has done is unforgivable."

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 **Drew's POV**

The bright light still overtook my vision. How long would this last!? Who honestly knows how long it'll take for my physical body to heal from that shit! Or better yet, _how_ could I have survived that shit anyways!? I landed directly onto a sharp rock! It impaled my through my torso!

Well, I guess I'd find out soon enough, huh?

My vision finally started clearing up as my eyes opened. I heard some beeping noises, and immediately knew it to be a heart monitor. Looking around, I saw I was in a hospital room of some sort.. The New Edenian Hospital! Someone must've found me and brought me here! But who?..

It was now that I noticed everyone in the room had watched me wake up! Among them was Siriulilus, Apollo, Mufasa, Sarabi, the cubs that came with us, Adia, and even Jade!

"G- Guys?.." I faintly said in a whisper. My voice was still weak, and the pain was sefaintly3

"You okay?" Apollo asked. I tried my best at a chuckle and sarcastically replied,

"W- What do you think?.. Asshole.." I joked with a grin. Even still I tried lightening the mood.

"Daddy.." Adia said with tears in her eyes. She was smiling and looked overjoyed to see me. She appeared to have some regrets, but looked relieved just the same!

"Hey, Flower.." I quietly and weakly said. That caused her to walk up to me and nuzzle me with affection.

"I- I'm _so_ sorry for what I said to you, Daddy! I- I was just angry, and I was scared and-" I cut her off by putting my hand on her shoulder.

"It's okay.. It's gonna be okay, now.." I gently replied. We continued to embrace, happy to see each other. Jade walked closer to us and she interjected,

"I'm so glad you're okay, Drew.." She said. "I don't know what I would've done if I lost another friend.." With a genuine smile, I replied,

"Thanks, Jade.. You're a good friend yourself.." She smiled under her mask. All a sudden, she sighed.

"I was the one who found you.. Had I found you a minute or two later, you would probably be dead right now.." I looked down in sadness. I can't believe what I almost did.. And over some stupid shit! I should've thought of how it could've affected my family and friends.. I was a coward.. I chose the easy way out! But no more! No more cowardice! I was gonna recover, and come back stronger than ever!

Then, on the TV, a picture of a _very_ angry looking C.G appeared, alongside similarly pissed people like Kennedy, Carandial, Caesarius, Simba, Nala, Kylie, and even Tyromairon.

"Where is she?!" C.G snapped. I closed my eyes in annoyance.

' _Great.. I wake up for not ONE minute, and already I'm being bitched at.. I wonder why Emperor Jack-ass wasn't on the conference himself?.. Who knows..'_ I thought.

"Oh...you have a _lot_ of explaining to do." Caesarius hissed.

Tyromairon nodded, and held up his hand, revealing a small...recording of some kind, and…

Jack...was dead. He was dead. And killed by Jade, by the looks of it. I widened my eyes and tried to sit up, only to be sent right back down due to the pain.

"What.. the _hell_?" I questioned in shock. I was honestly at a loss for words! Surely this wasn't real.. They were bullshitting!

"It is _very_ real!" Tyromairon declared. "And you know it!"

Kylie then spoke. "And we know _who_ did it!"

Jade's expression held that not of sadness, not of fear, or even of regret. It held that of determination and anger! She looked at everyone on the TV with contempt. She wasn't gonna surrender herself _that_ easily! Not that I expected her too. I didn't blame her..

"YOU MURDERED MY FATHER YOU BITCH!" Kylie screeched. "WHATEVER'S COMING, I HOPE YOU GET THE SAME TREATMENT! YOU DON'T DESERVE MERCY! YOU ARE A MONSTER! YOU DESERVED _EVERYTHING_ YOU WENT THROUGH FOR WHAT YOU TOOK FROM ME!" Jade looked pissed and shot back,

"I would watch your tongue, _girl_!" She insulted. "And I wouldn't be so bold.. You wouldn't be so brave if you had to face us in person.. I'd love to see you try!" I was thunderstruck! This back and forth banter between the two, and I was just stunned! I certainly had missed a lot while I was unconscious..

"You would be _wise_ to watch _your_ tongue!" Tyromairon said firmly. "Now, you have a choice. Hand her over, or we take her. It's that simple." Jade simply laughed and countered,

"What are you gonna do, tough guy? Your Force doesn't work on me! I'm unsusceptible to _any_ and all magic powers! It's futile against me! You won't take me _that_ easily!"

"But they aren't…" Tyromairon responded.

"And none of you are immune to our fleet." He added.

"Choose your next words carefully. Either she surrenders, and we _may_ show mercy, or she doesn't. In which case, _none_ will receive mercy." C.G responded. Then she said. "I don't _care_ what you think he _was_. What you took from me, them, and especially _her_ , cannot be forgiven."

This time, _I_ was the one who spoke up. I simply sat up, looked her dead and the eye and said,

"Go fuck yourselves!" With that, I shut off the TV, ending the transmission. Our decision had been made..

"How...how could you?!"

I turned to see Mufasa looking up at me with a thunderstruck expression. "You're _letting_ her get away with this?! You're willing to doom us all over _her_?!" Siriulilus cried.

"After what she did, and what you and her both said, they'll destroy _everything_ we have! All of our people, our city, and everyone you love! Is Adia worth that to you?!" Apollo asked. "This is _not_ a fight you can win! And I joined you because of what _Jack_ did, and to try and _prevent_ that! I thought we were better than this!" I cocked a brow in confusion and held an expression of anger.

"Shut the fuck up! All of you! You're acting like a bunch of crybabies! First you're all _wishing_ for the death of Jack, and now you're _so_ against it!? You're calling it barbaric, but does it fucking matter!? This is war guys! The Jack we knew and loved was _gone_! A monster took his place! We couldn't prevent that.."

Siriulilus looked at me.

"None of us _wanted_ him dead! We _wanted_ something better than what he built! Not the same. Damn. thing! I will _not_ stand here and serve another tyrant!"

With that, he turned and left, followed by Apollo.

"We're forming a Republic! One where people like you _and_ Jack can't determine _our_ destinies! You destroyed everything we stood for! And you say since its war that what happened was fine?! That was the philosophy of _Jack_! You _just_ screwed us all over!" I simply waved my hand and said,

"Bye, Felicia!" I then added. "Call me a tyrant if you want, but there's nothing fucking wrong with this. These bitches keep causing conflicts with _us_! You all are making _zero_ sense here!"

Apollo shook his head. "They _offered_ you _far_ more than you think! We survived the last battle _because_ Jack let us! Because you were to stupid to see that you were leading us to ruin!"

"You're fucking lucky I'm stuck in this hospital bed.." I angrily said. "Regardless, what would _you_ do!? You'd just give up one of your own? Just like that? You'd submit like a little pussy to the enemy and just say 'here you go'? _No_! That's fucking stupid! I don't get your logic!"

"You sound just like that tyrant. And no, we're being _realistic_!"

"Oh, and a parting gift. Good luck in your suicidal war." He growled. He threw a replicator onto the bed.

"I will not _lose_ my son and daughter because you're too stupid and naive to lead us into a fight we can't win."

"And _when_ New Edenia wins, I'll be the first to tell you to kiss my ass when you come crawling back!" I yelled.

Apollo shook his head, and left.

Mufasa looked to me.

He then shook his head. "I will not leave. But this has gone on for long enough. _Think_ for a second next time you throw us _all_ to the hyenas."

"He's right.." The comment came from Adia! She stood in front of me with a determined expression and said, "My Daddy is _right_! All might seem bad at first, but things always get better! I've resented my Daddy's actions many times now, but in the end, they almost _always_ work out! There's no guarantee, but he's not stupid! He wouldn't just throw us into this if he didn't have some sort of plan! That's what I've observed.."

Mufasa looked at her, before sighing. "I pray you're right. For all our sakes." I sighed.

"For any of you who want to leave, now's your chance.. There's _no_ room for internal conflict during this time! Inform everyone else.. Tell them the same thing.. Either stay, or get out!..."

 **A/N: So that was the new chapter, and things are about to get** _ **really**_ **bad.**


	15. Chapter 15, Peace

Kenzi's POV

I honestly couldn't take it anymore.. I've spent far too long here with the Empire, and I've overstayed my welcome! It's honestly so awkward being the sibling of the leader of their main rival nation.. I honestly think everyone here hates me.. And all because of my relation to Drew! Well no more.. I'm done with this!

This Empire is too barbaric and insane for my liking anyways..

I stepped foot outside, the cool breeze blowing through my hair. As I snuck towards the border that separated the Dilanian Empire and The Badlands, where I knew Drew and them to be, I was startled by a sudden voice.

"So you finally decided that we were too insane for you?" I sharply turned around to see who said that. It was Kylie! What did she want?.. I sighed and replied,

"In a manner of speaking, yes.." I cocked a brow and added. "What're you doing out here so late at night anyways?"

Kylie sighed, and looked down. "I just wanted to wish you luck. And I hope you know that..."

She looked away, seemingly unable to say it. "No one here hates you. They don't blame you for what happened. Many of us do indeed miss Drew, which is why we're so angry at him for this. I admit we aren't saints, but no-one here wanted this to happen. We didn't want the war, and we most certainly didn't want to throw your brother out."

She then looked me in the eye. "I most certainly didn't. All-" She wiped a tear away, her voice cracking. "All I want is my dad back." I cringed at that.

It brought back so many horrible memories.. Both if my bastard biological Dad, and my real Dad, John.. Brandon was insane.. So insane that he killed our brother in cold blood. I can never get him back. That is what stings me the most about it.. Even John and Mom.. They both died in that horrific accident, yet me and Drew got to live. Why? Why us!? It was a strange reality, but I can understand Kylie's struggle probably more than anybody else..

"I think we all do.." I softly replied. "He was a good man. When we first met him, you should've seen him! He was way different in that time.." I then sighed. "And to think that this could've all been avoided if your dad and my brother didn't act like a couple of idiots and actually came up with a compromise that day.. I just wish things could've turned out differently.."

Kylie looked at me. "I do too… And I wish things could have gone differently between us. Perhaps, in another life, we could have been best friends."

She then sighed. "I can never forgive your brother or Jade for what happened to my father, and for what supposedly happened to my brother, but that doesn't mean I don't miss Uncle Drew." I nodded.

"I know.. I'm not gonna defend my brother either, and especially not Jade.. I don't think I can trust her myself.. But Drew is family! And family sticks together no matter what! We both made a pact to protect and be there for one another in any situation, no matter how bad it was.. And well, I'm gonna fulfill my end of the bargain.."

Kylie nodded. "That's why I can't forgive Jade or Uncle Drew. Because dad was my father. I will always love him. I just-"

Then, she hugged me, causing me to widen my eyes. "I'll miss both you and him. Maybe… maybe we can stop this, if I can talk to mom, and you can talk to Uncle Drew. Maybe...maybe no one else will have to die..." I smiled and told her,

"That's what your father would want after all.." I then looked her in the eye and added, "I may not have agreed with him on some of his actions, maybe even downright resented some of them.. But I could tell on the last day of his life that he truly wanted to make a change.. To create peace.. He was just a little too late.." I finished sadly.

Kylie nodded, and looked down. "Please, for both him and Uncle Drew. So that maybe we can live in peace. The Empire as we knew it is gone, but that doesn't mean we have to be enemies."

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Kylie's POV

"What?"

I looked away, trying to hide the fear. I had just asked C.G to make peace with the ones who killed her love. My own father. I honestly couldn't believe I was doing this myself. When it was I who had a hand in causing this war.

I helped cause this war.

C.G looked at me, thunderstruck by my request.

"Why?" She asked.

"They murdered Jack. Why should we make peace with them when all our attempts at an olive branch were rejected?"

C.G didn't looked angry, just...surprised.

I looked down. "It's what dad would have wanted."

I couldn't look in her eyes. Honestly, I felt...torn. On one hand, I wanted revenge, and on the other…

"Kylie, C.G..."

We turned. My eyes widened. I knew that voice.

It was dad!

When I turned, a translucent, ethereal...ghostly figure stood there.

It...it was dad…

My eyes widened.

"DADDY?" I asked, scarcely believing it.

He smiled warmly.

"You must make peace." He finally said. "Don't fail where I did..."

We looked to each other. "Jack...I can't forgive-"

"No, you don't have to. But don't doom us all. We must stand together. A greater threat is on the horizon. I forgot who I was, and I don't want you to go down the same path of violence and hate."

He smiled sadly. And he began to fade…

"Daddy!" I cried.

No! He couldn't leave! Please no!

I rushed forward.

"I love you both so much!" He declared.

I finally reached his form, but by that point, he was gone.

"Remember who we are...Remember...Remember..."

As he finally dissipated, C.G looked to me. And we knew what we had to do.

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Kenzi's POV

I sat there in silence as the ship landed on the ground. It hadn't taken too long to get here; maybe a few minutes.. The Empire had crossed the line for me. I thought they were both barbaric and insane, and wasn't gonna stay there any longer! Caesarius is the one who brought me here, under orders of C.G., who didn't care less about my departure.

In a way, it was by Jack's order as well. He had said anyone who wanted to leave was free to. It was about high time that me and Drew stuck together. It's what family does..

"You have done well..."

I cocked a brow in confusion as I began to exit the ship. Who had said that?

I turned to see Tyromairon. "You have done the best thing possible for all our people. For we must stand together against the coming darkness. One that will require intelligent, good people, like you and the princess. You have done something great, by agreeing to try and stop this war." I turned to him and merely replied,

"I agree.. The last thing I want is more conflict. Enough good people have died already.."

He nodded, before saying. "Tell your brother, that he found peace. And that he still considers Drew his brother." I looked to the side for a couple of seconds and took a deep breath. Turning back, I flashed him a smile.

"I'll do that.. I know things have been rocky between us; between those of us who were once so close.." I sighed and finished, "But it's never too late to try and right those wrongs, and try to start over."

He smiled slightly. "You are wise beyond your years, Kenzi. You will go far. Now, I must return to the Empire, where I hope that they are as receptive to peace as you and Kylie were." I nodded.

"Let's hope so.." I said. "I must be going to my brother now. It's been awhile since I've seen him. The time has come for the both of us to stick together again as family."

He nodded. "Farewell."

With that, he disappeared, leaving me alone. Turning my attention back to the exit, I walked off the ship. I noticed the door close behind me, and the ship took off back to the Empire. I looked straight ahead, and there it was: New Colossus, the capital of New Edenia. Taking a deep breath, I said,

"Well, here goes nothing.."

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Drew's POV

I laid there in the hospital bed, even still.

Tick

Tick

Tick

The sounds of the clock in the room was all I constantly heard, every day! If the TV wasn't on, all the noise I heard was that clock!

I had been in this bed for about a week now. According to the doctors, the only injuries I had was two large open wounds: one across my back, and one across my abdomen. They stitched it up, and they said it would leave two big scars there for the rest of my life. Which, I didn't care really. It was just a couple scars..

What I was worried about was my other injury: my broken spine. I had broken my back in half when I landed on the jagged rock in the chasm. The doctor said it would take 8-10 weeks to fully heal, and even then, physical therapy would come after that.

I groaned in absolute boredom. I was just aching for someone to come visit me or something! I thought my prayers were answered when I heard the door open.

I looked excitedly, seeing that it was Siriulilus.

"Hey man. How's it going?" I casually asked him.

"You going to accept it this time?" He asked suddenly. I sighed, knowing what he was referring to.

"Only if we come up with a compromise that is fair to both sides.. I'm willing to make peace, but only if they don't try and screw us like they have before.." I answered.

He sighed. "And what if they do want peace, a peace that is fair? Would you be willing to back down for the sake of both your people and theirs? The New Cyrannic Republic will be neutral if the war does occur, but you need to be willing to make concessions if you expect them to. I'm not saying give up, but don't stonewall on this. This is not a game."

He looked away. "We all want the same thing, and that's peace." I looked him but a stern, but understanding expression.

"You gotta understand," I started to explain. "when I woke up in my first day that I was put in the hospital, I didn't know fully what had happened. I couldn't tell if they were trying to screw us or what! I didn't know Jack was actually dead! My brain was still recovering from the shock of being impaled by a rock from a 500 foot drop! I wasn't thinking rationally, and for that, I apologize.." I sighed and continued,

"But I'm willing to give certain things up if that means peace can occur.. I have to start thinking of everyone, and not just for myself. Something has to be done! This is a huge deal.."

He nodded. "What's done is done. Jack is dead, and we are forming our republic. But that doesn't mean war has to come. Perhaps an agreement can be reached, and we can stand together against the Galactic Empire. Just, don't think you're the only who has to deal with this stress. Maybe that's what led Jack down that path, the stress of coordinating a war effort."

He then looked at me.

"The Republic will attempt to establish relations with both Dilania and New Edenia, but we will pursue our own destiny. Good luck, Drew, we wish you the best." I nodded.

"Same here.." I replied. "I just need to get out of this damn hospital! It's killing me.."

He chuckled a bit. "There's someone else who wants to see you."

He then motioned for someone to come in.

It was…

"Kenzi!?" I asked with slight shock. I hadn't expected her to come back. I thought she was mad at me for turning against the Empire.. She slightly smiled and said,

"Hey, Drew.." She then cocked a brow and looked slightly worried. "What happened? Why are you in the hospital?" I sighed. I suppose now would be a better time than any.

"Well… Here's what happened." I began.

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Drew's POV

I finished the story, and waited for my sister's reply. She looked at me with absolute shock. Kenzi shook her head and muttered,

"Christ, Drew.." She then walked up to me and continued. "W- Why would you do that?... Don't you know your family and friends love you? Imagine what they would think.. I'm your sister! How would I have felt!?" I sat there in silence.

"I'll tell you how I would've felt!" I yelled. With tears now in my eyes, I said. "I would've been devastated! You're the only biological family I have left.. What would I do if I lost my other brother!?" I too had tears in my eyes now. Regret was evident in my expression for what I did.

"I'm sorry, Sis.." I said. "I was weak.. I- I wasn't thinking straight." Out of nowhere, she gave me a hug. I immediately returned the embrace.

"I'm just glad you're okay.." She said with sincerity.

"I promise everything's gonna turn out alright.." I assured her. "Everything will be alright.. I'm gonna do whatever it takes for us to live normally again." We separated from our hug, and she said,

"Whatever happens, just know I'll be there for you and love you.. It's what family does. I haven't forgotten the pact we made all those years ago when Brandon got arrested.." I sighed. I remembered exactly what she was talking about.. Giving a smile, I replied back,

"Same here, Kenzi.." After s bit of a pause, I continued. "You and Adia both are the two most import people in my life.. I'd do anything for you 2.. Just always remember that." She nodded with a smile. I tried my best to sit up, and got into a more comfortable position. Not that I could feel much anyways..

"I need to contact the Empire.. To tell them I wanna start talking peace negotiations. This conflict has to stop.." I then declared. "It's time for me to start acting like a King, and not a child! It's time to grow up and take charge!"

Then all of a sudden, as if on cue, the screen came on, revealing president Kennedy.

"We are here, to request peace, genuine peace negotiations." He declared.

'Well that was quick..' I sarcastically thought. I looked to President Kennedy and said,

"Good. I'm ready to talk peace myself.. Also, if I may suggest something?"

He nodded. "Before you say that, you have two people to thank for that. Your sister, and the princess."

He looked to Kenzi. "Thank you. We need more people like you in this world."

"The princess was the one who convinced Empress C.G to begin these negotiations. Its time we stop acting like children, and make peace. For everyone. We all share this world, and we all must accept that. And yes, you can."

I looked at Kenzi with a smile, and nodded my thanks. I turned back to JFK.

"Well, give the Princess my thanks.." I said. "And I would think it best if both parties met in person someplace instead of over this screen.. If we are going to begin peace, we need to be able to trust each other enough to do at least that.."

He nodded. "Perhaps the New Republic's capital? Pax'Cyran? They have declared their neutrality, but would most definitely support a peace." I nodded.

"If the Republic is okay with that, then that's where we'll meet.. I do have one other request though if you don't mind? And I think it would be best.."

"I'd prefer we wait until my back is healed before our meeting.. I need to at least be able to walk around first. It would make things easier. We could set it for say, a few months? I know it's a lengthy wait, but I don't know how else to do it."

He nodded. "That would be best. Until then, shall we agree to an armistice? And..." He hesitated.

"Kylie wanted me to tell you, that she still misses her Uncle Drew." I froze. My heart melted. She still thought of me that way? Even after what all had happened?

I sighed. I truly didn't know what to say. After a little bit, I finally got out,

"Tell her… Tell her, Uncle Drew misses her too. And that I wish things could've been different in the past.." I then remembered Kennedy's request. "As for your armistice agreement, I fully accept it."

"Thank you, and I will. Good luck, and we wish both you and New Edenia the best." With that, Kennedy ended the transmission, leaving us alone.

"Thank you, brother..."

I widened my eyes.

Could it be?...

"Jack?.." I asked.

A ghostly form materialized. Jack, clad in a fine, white robe, and wearing a small hood, stood there, smiling. "Thank you...My brother. I cannot return, for my time has come, but do know that I only wish that I could have been here to see it personally. Brother..." He hesitated. "I am sorry." I closed my eyes and looked down.

"No." I said. "I am the one who should be sorry.. While I tried to end it all like a coward, I let you get killed.. I wish I hadn't been so weak.. That things could've been different.." I sighed. "I miss you… Brother." I finished with a saddened grin. I hadn't called him that in a long time.

He smiled, and I swear, I saw a tear in his eye. "I have one request, be there for my daughter and...my future children. Tell them, when they're old enough, that their father loves them, with all his heart. And tell Kylie...that she will always be my little girl, no matter what."

"I- I will.." I promised. "I'll protect those kids like they were my own! I owe you that! So long as I draw breath, I'll never let anything happen to them.. Or to the Empire. I may still be separate from them and their views, but they're still good people.. I won't let you down."

He smiled. "Thank you. Know that I will always watch this world. I will always be here for you and my family, brother, I will never forget how much you meant to me before all this, and...now I can leave this world happy, that you and C.G succeeded, where I failed. Tell her...that I love her. Goodbye, my brother."

With that, he began to fade.

"Goodbye.." I told him. "I'll never forget you.."

And there, he dissipated, but not before smiling.

It was at that moment, I realized that Jack had finally made peace with himself and us, and...that we may never see him again. I don't know how to describe it, but that's what my heart told me. He was at peace. The man I knew before all this, he returned in those last minutes.

Kenzi stood there, thunderstruck.

"Was that- was that real?" She asked me. I turned to her with a smile and replied,

"I'm pretty sure.. Things are finally starting to turn around. We have a lot of work to do, to finally make amends.."

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About an hour after I had interacted with Jack's ghost, Kenzi had since left and I eventually fell asleep. However, my sleep was shallow enough for me to hear the nurse outside my room in the unusually quiet hospital ward.

"Yeah, he's in Room 3," he said.

I awaited for whoever came to visit me, and eventually, I saw that Alex was the visitor.

"Good afternoon, Drew," Alex smiled.

"Likewise." I replied, still a little surprised.

"How are you holding up?" he asked.

"Well, somehow, I'm alive.." I chuckled, and so did he.

"Y'know, I've been in your position before. Twice, in fact," Alex revealed, to my surprise. He appeared as a man who was accepting of himself and held no internal conflict that would drive him to kill himself.

"When I was a boy, after the terror attack in London in 2005, I was diagnosed with P.T.S.D., but not before I was plagued with nightmares that made me ill, physically and mentally, I lost a lot of weight, and was disgusted with myself that I had reacted to the attack like this. I was supposed to be a man, I was supposed to not have to speak about it, it would be most unBritish if I spoke about my feelings. However, that attitude almost cost me my life and my family their happiness. I tried to hang myself after I had seven consecutive weeks of nightmares, each and every night. One of the reasons I am here today was my brother, he found me as I kicked the chair that I stood on, he almost jumped down the stairs to get a knife, frantically cut the bed sheets I had used to make a noose with, and he cried out my name, begging for me to not be dead. I was then in a coma for a few days, my brother missed out on education, my family had underperformed at work, all because of my arrogance and selfishness and because society thinks I am immune to mental sickness," Alex told me his amazing and emotional story. I saw that his eyes had welled up, but then he wiped them away and laughed.

"I shouldn't make this all about me, I came to wish for your speedy recovery, not to gush about my life," he said.

"Nah, it's okay. I want to learn more about you anyways. I can tell you're a great guy and a great friend, and I'm truly sorry that you've gone through all of this… twice. I feel that there's a lesson for me in all of this.." I replied.

"You're right. Well, the second time I tried to kill myself was when I was exiled from the Pride Lands for failing to carry out my duties as a Guardian of the Realm, this was when Mufasa was assassinated by Scar," Alex explained the context.

"Scar seems like a dick in all timelines." I laughed. Alex laughed too.

"So, yeah, I was exiled, and after living several years alone, in a rainforest, I saved these two young lads whose family were unfortunately killed by predators. I was a completely different person then, I didn't wish to attach myself to anyone, I wanted to die alone. However, these kids, called George and Henry, they sorta followed me as I would do my daily tasks, and I started to bond with them. Seeing how they had no parents, I took it upon myself to raise them and teach them how to survive. Until then, my life was relatively undisturbed and looked to go nowhere. However, I once again met Simba, and after that, my P.T.S.D. resurfaced, now with newer, darker memories, combined with old memories, it was more hardcore than ever before. Eventually, as you can guess, I tried the same method. I tried to hang myself on a tree, but again, someone was there to save me. George and Henry used the knife I was given by the Kings of the Past…. It's complicated, and that was when my life turned around, and I returned to Pride Rock, and with Simba's help, we overthrew Scar," Alex concluded his story.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is that even when you feel that there is no hope, when you feel that the world is against you, and that you cannot go on, you must remember the people who care for you. They may not show it explicitly, but there are people who care for you, and will be affected if you are gone forever. While you may think that there is no point in continuing, that is the exact point from where it will all get better," Alex said, concluding his speech by placing his hand on my shoulder.

"I- I know that now.." I replied. "I was a coward and a fool for doing what I did! I had a near death experience, and if it wasn't for Jade, I'd be dead right now.. I owe her my life! It's given me a different outlook on life. It's made me realize that I have a purpose in life, and a destiny to fulfill! And I'm going to carry out that destiny. With God as my witness! I swear It'll be done!"


	16. Chapter 16, Reconcilation

**Drew's POV**

4 months had passed since I attempted suicide at the chasm, and oh _man_ has a lot of shit happened! Jade and my friendship with her has gotten even stronger. We've grown way closer than we have before, and have mostly just sat and talked these past few months.

I mean hell, what _else_ did I have to do anyways? But in all seriousness, it was really nice.. She visited often, and we started to really bond even further.

Adia is bigger than me now! She's basically what you would call an adult right now! Though a younger adult.. She still calls me 'Daddy' though, which I guess kinda stuck. That girl still melts my heart.. I love her with all my heart!

Kenzi is now 16. She was growing up pretty damn fast herself! My little sister ain't so little anymore, huh? She visited me often as well, taking care of Adia for me when I couldn't. For that, and for sticking with me through both thick and thin, _that_ is what I appreciate most of all from her!

All the Pridelander cubs were basically adolescents, or teenagers now. Chumvi, Tojo, Tama, and Kula.. Everyone is just fucking growing up so much it's insane! Just a shame Simba and Nala weren't around to grow up with their friends..

I myself am now 19. My birthday just passed like last month. We had what celebration we could do, which was fun I guess. It was fun seeing everyone and having a good time! In a weird way, being confined here like this got me to bond and talk with everyone and grow a bit closer to them.

New Edenia as a whole is doing _great_! We've expanded our economy and infrastructures at a _massive_ pace! Our capital now housed about 60,000 people! It certainly wasn't a small city, but yet still wasn't _quite_ as big as the Dilanian Empire's. We have a bigger and better economy, but in terms of size, we can't quite match it..

I tell ya though, sitting in this fucking hospital bed nearly gave me a goddamn aneurysm! I hated it _so_ much! Luckily now I got out of it and went _straight_ to physical therapy. Today was my final day of training, and I was feeling just like my old self again! Well, except for the two big ass scars that are now there..

One of the biggest changes of all though, was the COMPLETE change in atmosphere. After the armistice agreement, peace has slowly been returning. Our relations with the Dilanian Empire have improved massively. Trade, open borders, and a pan-Chimaeran alliance had risen. New nations had been propped up by the four great powers(Dilania, New Edenia, the Republic, and the GAR) as a unified international community was created.

I've explained enough about Dilania. The Republic is very friendly to us and is there to basically help anyone, not wanting to start any conflicts. They are a nice bunch! GAR has that math nerd in it and their droids can be a bit overwhelming, but all in all, I like them too! Everyone basically gets along between the four of us now, and it's great!

Now _finally_ I'm about to leave my final physical therapy appointment, a new and changed King of New Edenia.

"Uncle?"

I widened my eyes just as I was got back into my regular clothes. Could that be?..

"Kylie?" I asked.

To my surprise, a black robed teenage girl with the same curly red hair and green eyes walked into view, though she still wore that same ushanka hat she always did. She smiled slightly. I was honestly in awe. She had changed so much!

"Kylie, is- is that you? You look different since the last time I saw you." I said with a chuckle.

She grinned. She then pulled a small, metallic cylinder from her pocket, and held it proudly.

"My father's lightsaber. Anteddy has been teaching me the ways of the force." She declared. I cocked a brow with a smirk.

"Is that so? Well I'm glad you're following in your father's footsteps.. You're gonna be a good Empress one of these days if you keep it up.."

She smiled. "We're all here, we wanted to celebrate with you. As part of the preliminary portions of the Pax'Cyran conference. We all hope that this can finalize peace."

She then grinned. "So how's Kenzi doing?" With a grin of my own, I joked,

"Still as annoying as ever!" But then I seriously added. "But no, she's doing really good. She's been watching Adia while I was stuck in the hospital.. Now Adia's all grown up now, and Kenzi's 16! God, do they grow up so fast.."

She nodded. "Jane and Alexander are growing up as well. They're excited to meet their uncle as well."

"And I certainly can't wait to meet my new nephew and niece! It's been a _long_ damn time since I've seen the outside. I'm still getting used to walking and being free again! Maybe sometime soon I'll stop by there and see y'all." I said.

She smiled. "Looking forward to it."

She nodded slightly, before turning and walking off, her black cape flowing behind her. I took a deep breath and muttered to myself,

"Okay, Drew.. Time to be a King.."

The meeting for peace negotiations was set for tomorrow, so that would be an important event in both Dilanian Empire _and_ New Edenian history!

Before I stepped out of physical therapy, I was stopped at the door by Jade walking in.

"Oh, hey Jade! How's it-" I cut myself off when I saw she looked a bit… pissed? I cocked a brow. "What's wrong?" I questioned. Jade looked behind her shoulder before answering,

"Why is there an _Imperial_ here?" She roughly asked. I stood there for a few seconds in silence. "Well?" I sighed.

"Look, Kylie didn't do anything wrong.." I said. "She's my niece and-"

"But she's the daughter of the enemy! Of the one I _killed_ to protect both you _and_ this place! If you allow her in here, who's to say she won't try and pull something right out from under you!? She'll _gain_ your trust, yes, but then stab you in the back, dooming us all!" I was starting to get a bit agitated, as was she.

"You wouldn't understand.." I bluntly countered.

"What _wouldn't_ I understand!?" Jade yelled. "If anything, I'd probably know better than _anybody_!"

"She's my _family_! And family looks out for each other _no_ matter what! They stick _together_ , Jade.. You don't _turn_ on them, no matter how much or what they've done.." She fell silent, looking down at the ground. "Killing Jack, that was a mistake.. It was an action I understood completely, but it was a mistake! He was _going_ to make things right between us! No one had to die! But of course we didn't _know_ that.." I sighed and finished. "No one knew that.."

By this point, I was stressed the fuck out! I just got out of physical therapy, I have a big meeting tomorrow, and now I have my friend arguing with me! Jade could clearly see it in my expression, making hers soften. With a sigh, she replied,

"I'm sorry.." She looked up at me now. "I know more than _anybody_ what it's like to both lose and be there for family.. Kitana was my _best_ friend, and a sister by choice.. For _thousands_ of years I watched over her and protected her, even after she was grown.." I gasped with eyes widened and cut her off.

"Woah, woah, woah! Hold the fuck up! You said _thousands_ of years!?" She merely shrugged it off like it was nothing.

"Yeah. I've been alive for a little over 10,000 years now.." She said. I was still _awestruck_ by this news. We had bonded and learned _a lot_ about each other these past few months, but surprisingly enough this never came up..

"Th- There's no _way_!" I yelled. "You look about _20_!" Jade could only laugh.

"Edenians don't age after they reach their peak. Their body remains in top physical condition all throughout! The only way we native Edenians can die is by being killed." I shook my head in amazement.

"Wow.." I said in awe. "And even still you look so beautiful.." I widened my eyes, as did she.

' _Shit!'_ I thought in a panic. I had let my thoughts escape my mouth! Jade looked at me with wide eyes and a shocked expression.

"Wh- What did you say?.." She asked. My cheeks flushing red, I tried to dodge.

"Uh- I, uh- What I meant was-" Jade took her mask off and seriously asked.

"Did, you just call me beautiful?.." I could only nod, unable to really move or speak. She smirked. "Ha! Impossible! We both know that isn't the case.."

"But it is!" I immediately interjected. I sighed and continued, "Ever since we first met, I thought you were beautiful.. But then, I finally got to know the real you some and- And well, I found out that you were a good person as well.. You show things a bit differently than I would, but I know you mean good.." Jade smiled slightly. She looked off to the side and said,

"I- I think you're a great person too, Drew.." After a bit, she continued, "You're a noble father, brother, and friend.." We both looked into each other's eyes, both having grins on our faces. Her bright green eyes locked with my blue ones. It was as if something was driving us to do this..

But then, out of nowhere, we both started to lean forward. Until…

 _Our lips met_

It was pure bliss. Finally after all this time, we did it! My heart melted and I felt better than I have in my entire life! I didn't want it to _ever_ end!

Well, until it did..

Jade and I took some breaths afterwards, and she commented,

"W- Wow.. That's the first time I _ever_ did that with anybody.." I widened my eyes.

"It _was_?" I questioned. "A beautiful woman like you had to wait 10,000 years for her first kiss?" I joked with a smirk. "Now that ain't right." We both laughed at that.

"Yes, I suppose not.." There was silence for a few seconds before I said,

"Well, what I- I'm really trying to say here out of all this is-" I took a deep breath and said it. "I love you, Jade.." She smiled probably the biggest I had seen her do _ever_! Her reply was almost instant.

"I.. love you too, Drew." So this was it.. This was happening! We were together as a romantic couple! How awesome is _that_!? "I never would've thought it possible, but… Perhaps I've found my soulmate.. After all these years.."

Little did we both forget, we were still in the physical therapy building, so everyone present saw and heard our _entire_ conversation! Not that I really cared.. It didn't matter to me.

"We should probably get outta here.." I suggested. Jade nodded in agreement.

"I agree.. Let's go." I held out my hand as a gesture for her to take it, and she did! We walked out into the public streets of the capital, hands interlocked.

Now _everyone_ would know. My life was about to take a _major_ turn..

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 **Tyromairon's POV**

" _The Emperor...shall rise...again..._ " I sensed it. I turned, and to my shock, the _first born_ stood before me.

"Vector of Order. You have returned to the path of the Oikoumene. Now, you must guide another."

For the first time, I was speechless. What did he mean? Why had Apolithanatar chosen _this_ moment to return?!

The Lord of Light raised a hand. "The Emperor returns this day, and the chosen ones can finally take their place as leaders of a free world."

Then, a cloaked, hooded figure stepped forward.

My eyes widened. I sensed his presence, despite his lack of words.

"Where is our family?" He asked

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 **Drew's POV**

C.G, Kylie, Jade, Adia, Mufasa, Kennedy, and Carandial were walking through the streets, discussing some preliminary ideas for the peace conference, when we heard a loud, thunderous cheering nearby. It seemed to be coming from some Imperial soldiers and civilians. I cocked a brow and asked no one in particular,

"What're they cheering for? Is there some kind of event going on or something?"

C.G shook her head. "No. Why-" She suddenly froze.

Her eyes were locked on the crowd, as if she had seen a ghost. All of us noticed this and followed suit. There were two figures in hooded clothing..

"Who is-" Adia began before gasping.

"Is that… _Jack!?"_ I asked in shock. "And _Kovu_!?" It couldn't be! Jack and Kovu were dead! It was only when I noticed everyone else held the same awestruck expression that I did, that I realized it was real.. Jade widened her eyes and said,

"Impossible.. Is there such a thing as resurrection in this world? They must have from the Soul Tombs!"

Indeed, it was Jack and Kovu. Kovu had grown considerably, now with a full, if not somewhat short chocolate mane extending down his neck. Jack wore similar clothes to our last encounter, though instead of all black, it was a mixture of browns, tans and whites.

Then, his eyes laid on us.

The crowd seemed to stop their ovation, and ended their cheers. There was silence as father and son began to walk towards us.

"Daddy!"

Kylie rushed forward without any further thought. Jack smiled, and the two embraced.

Kylie was crying tears of absolute joy, as was Jack.

He then looked to C.G, who was frozen in place.

She began to walk forward. Jack smiled again, and he met her halfway to us. For a second, they just stared at each other, before Emperor and Empress finally realized this was very real. They kissed. C.G's expression was of pure joy and bliss, and Jack's euphoria.

Meanwhile, Kylie and Kovu embraced as well. It was a happy family reunion…

They were interrupted by the rest of our approaching footsteps. As Jack looked to face me, I smirked and gave him an abrupt hug.

"Welcome home… _brother_." I said. Adia nuzzled him in a friendly manner and added,

"I missed you too, Uncle Jack.. We all have." She then turned to Kovu. Nuzzling him, she finished, "And you better believe I've also missed my big brother.." Kovu returned the gesture, just as happy.

As this was going on, I noticed Jade's expression being one of slight annoyance. She was most likely not happy about Jack's return, especially after she's the one who assassinated him.

"How is it you've returned?" Jade abruptly asked. She looked genuinely curious, but you could tell there was some bitter malice in there too.

Jack turned. "Because I had something to return to, despite your best efforts." He said curtly. Jade huffed.

"Oh please.. You even _begged_ for me to kill you!" I touched Jade on the shoulder and started to say,

"Jade.. Let's not try and start-" I was cut off.

"I didn't mean for you to leave me to be eaten alive by raptors. No one deserves to be butchered like that." Jack interjected. Jade was fuming and started to walk closer.

"Except for tyrannic emperors who _only_ think for themselves!" She was referring both to Jack and Shao Kahn.

"SHUT THE FUCK UP YOU BITCH!" Kylie screamed. "GET YOUR FUCKING ANGER ISSUES SORT OUT! MY FATHER IS _FAR_ BETTER THAN YOU GIVE HIM CREDIT FOR, SO STOP RUINING WHAT'S SUPPOSED TO BE A HAPPY MOMENT!"

She then walked to Jade. "And leave. Us. Alone!" Jade chuckled slightly.

"Watch how you speak, little girl.. You don't _want_ this fight to start up again.. I was just asking a simple question, and yet you all continue to escalate the conflict.."

"No, we were _happy_ my father's back, while _you_ provoke us. And don't _test_ me!" Kylie snarled.

"Or what?" Jade challenged. "Your precious 'Force' doesn't work on me, and neither does any magic powers! I've trained in martial arts and melee combat for _thousands_ of years! You're _outmatched_!"

"I don't _need_ the force to defeat you!" Kylie snarled, she activated her lightsaber. "And if you threaten my family again, I will not hesitate to defend them!" Jade could only laugh.

"Do it then.. Kill me." I facepalmed.

' _Oh shit.. Here we go..'_ I thought.

"No, because I am not a cold, ruthless, murderous monster like you." Kylie replied. " _You're_ the one who's like your emperor! _Not_ my father!" Jade yelled in her face,

"I am _nothing_ like Shao Kahn! You know not of the universe I come from, child! There's literally a bloodbath and a murder every hour of the day! I learned what I had to in order to survive.. To protect Kitana.. And to protect Edenia from tyranny!"

"Well, my father meant _as_ much to me as Kitana did to you! So get off your high horse and. Let. It. Go! Move the fuck on! We _all_ want peace, and yet you refuse to move on from this! I am glad my father's back, and I will _not_ lose him again!"

"Well.." Jade calmly began. "Stay in your lane, and everything will be fine.." She then seriously finished. "But if you cross New Edenia and my friends, then I personally will not hesitate to retaliate! Just know that.."

"Are you threatening my _family_?!" Jack finally thundered, he activated his lightsaber. "Back off!" He growled. "I came here for _them_ , not for war, but I will defend my daughter, even from my brother's love."

"Jade, ENOUGH!" I shouted. She quickly turned to me and said.

"They started this conflict! _Not_ me!" She shot back around and told Jack.

"I threaten _no one_ 'Emperor'.." She spat. "It's more of a promise than anything.. You wanna speak your peace? Then speak it.. Let it be done already!"

Jack nodded. "I _want_ peace." He began. "We were _one_ nation once, and look at us now, still divided by petty squabbles that were blown out of proportion by each of us. Better were the days when we stood as _one_ against Palpatine! When we _listened_ to each other, when we didn't _shoot_ at one another. I know my past is checkered, but I _love_ my family, my _brother_ included, and I will _not_ go to war again, but I _cannot_ let something so dear to me be threatened, not after losing it twice."

He turned to Drew. "Brother..." He began. "I will not go to war with you again, and I long for the days when things were better, but those days are over. Now we must pick up the pieces left behind, and I am willing to do everything in my power to help _all_ people here, Imperial or not, prosper. I _want._ Peace!" I yelled. I looked sternly at everyone and said,

"Can I get a say in all this shit!? Please?.." Jack nodded. I sighed. I turned to look Jade dead in the eye and told her,

"Jade, you _can't_ draw out arguments like you've been doing! It _only_ leads to more violence!" She looked like she was about to interjected but I continued, "Think about Edenia!" She stopped in her tracks. " _Your_ Edenia.. The one you call home! You can't keep arguing with the other realms, because that only escalates the problem, right?" She sighed but then nodded.

"You see? That would only put Edenia in more danger than it needed to be.. Sure you probably could've won in the end, but is losing _any_ soul in the conflict, _even_ though you won such a good idea?" She shook her head.

"You- You are right.." She said. "I lost my way there for a bit, and I acted out of anger.. I must've forgotten how I used to handle things in Edenia.." I nodded with a smile.

"There ya go.. You'll get it eventually.." She sighed but grinned back through her mask. I then turned to Jack and the Empire, but I was mostly talking to Kylie.

"And as for _you_ ," I began. "If arguments are about to break out: suck up, be the bigger person, and move on! Try and work things out without escalating or starting more shit! _That's_ what I learned in my near death experience as well.. Not being as good a leader as I should've led to violence, which cost me men, and stressed me the fuck out!" I paused for a bit and _everyone_ was paying attention.

"After _one_ loss, and after realizing what my dumbass actions caused.. I felt like I wanted to die.. That I was useless.. That I didn't wanna be around to hurt anyone anymore.." I sighed and finished. "But now that I lived through that, _all_ thanks to Jade I might add, I _see_ now what that shit can truly cause! Let's _not_ make the same mistakes again my brothers.. My sisters.. My family.. Put the petty bullshit aside, _all_ of us! And let's grow the fuck up!" I finished strongly.

Kylie looked me in the eye. "Tell me to grow the fuck up?" She asked. " _You_ didn't have to find your father, the only one who ever cared for you, who loved you, murdered like I did! So fuck off! You can have your peace, but I want no part of it! Fuck you _both!_ " She snapped.

"My _brother_ was murdered _by_ my father! He _never_ loved me or Kenzi! You're not the only one who has suffered!" I yelled. I breathed in and calmed myself. "See that? _That's_ the problem! I was telling _everyone_ here present to grow up, including myself!"

"No." Kylie replied. "You're just telling me because you can't move on from the fact that your girlfriend is a _murderer_!" With that, she turned, and stalked off. "Fuck you! Fuck New Edenia! And especially, fuck Jade!" She screamed, before moving off. I immediately looked at Jade, expecting to see rage, but what I saw surprised me..

She stood there, not affected. At least _someone_ was listening to that whole fucking 'Braveheart' I just gave! Jade sighed.

"It is my fault you know.." She admitted. "I killed Jack. I caused all of this.. But that's just how I was taught. For literally _millennia_." She paused and suggested to me. "Perhaps it'd be best if we leave? Or.. whatever you think is best.. my love."

My heart melted. Did she just call me that!? I immediately snapped out of it and told her.

"No. We're gonna discuss what we came here for.. And that is _peace_!" I then finished. "And if anyone doesn't want that, well, that's on them!" I turned to Jack. "It's your choice.. Official peace, or we leave with just an armistice.. Your call.."

Jack looked at me with an unreadable

"The Dilanian Empire will accept this peace. But a Chimaeran Alliance is out of the question right now. It's clear your people still fear and hate mine. We will make peace, but I cannot trust you yet, as much as I want to. Not after _this_. Now, if you excuse me, I have to talk to my daughter." I cocked a brow.

"You're not so much as even gonna discuss details? We need to know what _is_ and _isn't_ gonna happen."

"President Kennedy will fill you in." Jack said. "I have something _far_ more important to discuss."

With that, he walked off, without so much as a word, leaving us all standing there, not understanding what was going on. I shook my head and sighed.

"Whatever.." I turned to JFK. "To the meeting hall of Pax'Cyran?"

He nodded. "Yes."

Then, Jack stopped. "Drew? Can you come with me? I feel she needs to hear your side too. It's what's best." I stopped in my tracks. I turned to face him and questioned sternly, yet calmly,

"Why? So she can tell me to go fuck myself? So she can send death threats to my future wife? Respect goes both ways, my friend.."

Jack rolled his eyes. "If she showed respect to my daughter, I'd be more angry, but she didn't, and you know that. You _know_ what she went through." He replied. "And you might be a bit more empathetic. I thought you said you'd protect my children as if they were your own, or are you going back on that because she hurt your feelings?" He asked. "Come, don't come, I don't care, I only care about my daughter right now. A daughter _your_ future wife emotionally destroyed."

Jade could only stand there. She knew he was right. But she didn't particularly care either way. She just wanted a peaceful and stable life in New Edenia..

I sighed and stood there in silence for a few seconds.

"My feelings are _not_ 'hurt'!" I declared. "I'm no sensitive pussy! I made that promise, and I'm damn well gonna fucking keep it!" I walked in his direction. "Let's go! Meeting in an hour guys.."

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 **Jack's POV**

"I'm sorry." I said as we walked through the desert. "I _have_ no idea what she went through either during those four months. I just-"

I looked down. "I just want to make sure she's alright."

I turned to Drew. "I _do_ want peace you know." He merely looked at me from the corner of his eye, not really up to talking much.

"I know.." He bluntly replied.

Finally, I spotted her in the distance, sitting on a tree branch, not facing us.

I took a deep breath. "Here goes nothing."

When we got there, I was about to say something, before being cut off. "What?" She asked flatly.

I sighed. "Kylie, come here."

She looked to me, her eyes red from crying. "Why? So I can destroy the chance of peace like last time? I would rather just stay here, where I can't hurt anyone and where no-one can hurt me."

She then dropped my old lightsaber to the ground.

"Sorry dad, but I would rather just be alone."

"It's our fault you know.." Drew said, which surprised us both. He sighed. "I acted like a dick when I left the Empire and when I took over New Edenia.. There were unnecessary casualties on both sides.. That's on me.. And because of that, I about paid the ultimate price.. Jade assassinating your Dad? I didn't know about it.. I was still in a coma! But it was uncalled for just the same.." I paused.

"What we _thought_ was right at the time, only made things worse later on.. What I'm trying to say out of all this, is that your anger is justified.. _We_ fucked up, okay? It's taught me to become a better diplomat than I was! But I've learned no matter how angry you get, and no matter _what_ you say, there's _always_ a chance to make things right.."

Kylie looked at us. "I'm sorry. Uncle Drew. I just...I missed daddy _and_ you so much. That's why I was so angry. I just...want peace."

She hopped from the tree.

"If I were to be Empress, I need to control my anger. I am sorry for what I said. I can't forgive Jade, but I shouldn't have gone that far. I...just want things to get better." I nodded.

"That's completely understandable.. But you both will need to learn to tolerate both each other and future bullshit for later on.. I'm pretty confident she will, and I _know_ you will! You're a strong and smart girl! You'll be a great Empress one day.. Ya just gotta learn how to deal with the dumb shit like me and your Dad have gone through.." I finished. "Don't make the same mistakes we made.."

She looked at us, before walking over and hugging Drew. "I love you so much Uncle Drew! Thanks for not giving up on me. And...I won't...I _won't_ make those mistakes."

I put a hand on her shoulder. "We all have to grow up Kylie, Drew and I had to _die_ to do that. It's just part of life. But that doesn't mean that this whole peace, and possibly, an alliance can't be salvaged. We still have to face the Galactic Empire, and we need _everyone_ on board for it."

Kylie looked at me, before hugging me as well. "I just don't want to lose you again, dad."

I hugged her back. "I promise you won't."

I looked to Drew. "We may not be of the same nation anymore, but perhaps we can still be brothers?" I extended my hand. He stared at it for a few seconds, before accepting the gesture with a grin.

"You're damn right we will be!" He then pulled me in for a hug of his own. "I'm sorry for all the shit that's happened.. But as I said, if we can negotiate, stay calm, and work together to solve our problems, then we can live peacefully forever.."

I nodded. "To peace, and, to hope." I said.

 **A/N: Hope you enjoyed this chapter! This concludes the first part of the story. We can't wait to write more!**


	17. Chapter 17, Death Knell

**Jack's POV**

It looked like another survivor was somewhere nearby. Our new system allowed us to detect the arrival of any new individuals or groups, and gave us their approximate location. He wasn't far, at least, not to much.

Still, in this heat, I should probably get to him or her before the elements or predators did. God, I know how _both_ of those feel like. Trust me, they aren't pleasant.

As I continued walking forward, alone, so as not to to startle the survivor, I began to wonder…

Who were they?

What were they like?

And how they would survive here?

I was a leader. I _had_ to make sure that anyone who joined my empire was safe, and that my allies were assisted.

Finally, I spotted him. A young man, maybe sixteen. He had a tank top on, likely as a result of the heat. From what I could see, he had raven black hair, and was kind of skinny.

When he spotted me, he hesitantly waved. I waved back, and approached.

"Um...could you please tell me where the hell I am?" He asked.

I sighed, and proceeded to give him 'that' talk. The one we gave to all new arrivals.

He seemed utterly shocked by what I was saying, but he accepted it. He said he didn't have much choice, given the current situation.

"So, what is your name?" He asked as I led him back to the capital.

"Jack. I'm the Emperor of the Dilanian Empire."

He grinned. "How? You look maybe in your twenties?"

I rolled my eyes and chuckled. "Long story."

He shrugged. "Well, I'm Stan. Stan Marsh. I swear, this is so weird-"

Stan… Where had I heard that name before?

"I mean, weird things happen in South Park sometimes, but nothing quite like this. Well-"

Oh man...was he…

"Something like this did happen. A friend of mine disappeared a few years back."

I stopped.

"What was that friend's name?" I asked.

"Huh, oh. Kyle. Why?"

I sighed, and pulled up the communicator. "Decimius?" I asked.

"Emperor?"

"Get Kylie out here. She might want to see the new survivor."

"Sir."

With that, I turned back to Stan.

He looked at me, confused. "What are-"

"Does sh-he have curly red hair, green eyes? Last name Broflovski?" I asked.

Stan's eyes widened. "What...how did you know?"

I sighed. "Because she's my daughter."

He gawked. "But...how...Wait, is this what happened to her? She came here?"

I nodded.

He was stunned. Then he looked down. "Did...did she tell you about me and her asshole parents?"

I nodded again. "Were...you the friend she told?"

He nodded. "I tried to help her, but she was too scared. I offered to go to the police with her, and was even going to convince my parents to let her stay with us or something. I...when she went missing, I thought they did something to her, and I thought it was my fault..."

I put a hand on his shoulder. "It wasn't. I'm happy that you wanted to help. But, I'm sure you can imagine how stubborn she can be."

He chuckled. "You have no idea...oh wait, maybe you do."

I sighed. "I have some experience."

Stan nodded. "So...is she...well...like me now? Or has it only been a little while for her?"

"Well, it has only been a few months in actual time, but people mature faster here, before they seem to even out when they reach maturity. But yes, Kylie is...wait...why?" I asked.

He immediately looked away. "No reason..."

I rose a brow, not convinced. I knew what was going on. Kylie told me that she had a crush on Stan when they were younger, and it seemed Stan felt the same way.

Honestly, I...was okay with this.

Be shocked all you want, but Kylie could take care of herself, and besides, Stan seemed like he was a good kid. Just as long as he didn't hurt her, I'd be fine with it.

"What...is it?"

I turned to see Kylie approaching.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Stan gawking.

I had to stifle a smirk.

"...Stan?!" Kylie asked, her voice high pitched in surprise.

Stan finally came to his senses, and chuckled. "Hey...man."

Kylie giggled a bit. "Um...you wind up here like I did?"

He shrugged. "Yeah. So...he's your dad?"

Kylie nodded. "Yeah, he's pretty cool."

I chuckled. "Kids these days."

The two laughed a little.

"Jack?"

I turned to my communicator. "Carandial?"

"Drew, Kenzi, and Adia are here, they're looking for you."

I blinked a little, surprised. "Copy, I'll be right there."

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 **Drew's POV**

Me, Kenzi, and Adia stood just inside the Dilanian borders. I didn't particularly want to be here, but Adia and Kenzi insisted I come to improve relations and to see everyone. At this point, I didn't give a shit about standing around and chit chatting with them. I was simply focused on New Edenia and my family, nothing more. Jade felt the same way as me, and didn't come with us. Considering the circumstances, and the shit that's happened in the past, it was probably for the best.

Maybe it wouldn't be _too_ bad being here.. If relations could be improved somewhat, then at least it wasn't a complete waste of time. I'd just rather be home.. It didn't exactly help that I was being watched like a fucking hawk! These guards wouldn't take their eyes off of me, or let me go anywhere. Soo, that was nice..

Eventually I heard the sound of approaching footsteps, as well as a familiar voice in the distance.

"Drew? What are you doing here?"

Jack didn't sound pissed off, just a little surprised. I simply shrugged and muttered,

"Good question.." I was elbowed by Kenzi and she answered,

"We're just here to see y'all again. Just to catch up and see how you're doing."

Jack nodded. Meanwhile, a little ways behind him, Kylie and a teenage, raven-haired boy were talking. They seemed really into their conversation… I cocked a brow in confusion.

"Uh, Jack?.. What's your thoughts on this?" I asked, referring to the couple.

Jack cocked a brow, before looking behind him. He then grinned. "You think I'd be just like most dads and want to skin any boy that comes near her?"

"Well.. I mean, kinda!" I replied, still in slight shock.

Jack rolled his eyes. "I can't believe this. I'm legitimately offended by that..." He sighed, feigning sadness.

"Why am I not surprised.." I sarcastically countered. I noticed Adia looking around, as if looking for someone. Before I could ask, she'd already done it for me.

"Where's Kovu?" Adia asked Jack. "I haven't seen him in awhile."

"He's off with Simba and Carandial. Carandial is giving them their own small fleets. Part of their first assignments in the Navy." Adia nodded in acknowledgment.

I turned to Drew. "Thank you for coming by the way. I still wish things could have gone better." I sighed and bluntly replied,

"I wish so too.. But what's done is done.."

Jack nodded. "Would you like to stay for dinner?" He finally asked. I wasn't exactly too keen on the idea. I didn't like to really interact too much.. Just to be back home with those I love would be nice..

"I'd love to, but I can't-" I was cut off.

"We'd _love_ to.." Kenzi interjected, kind of giving me a glare. I sighed with my eyes closed.

' _Great..'_ I thought.

Then…

Suddenly, a large Mortalitas, almost 9 feet tall stepped into view. "Well done..." He said, smirking at Jack.

Jack immediately tensed up, and activated his lightsaber. "Who the hell are you?"

The Mortalitas grinned. "Perhaps you should ask your _true_ master?"

He then held up a single hologram, revealing Jack, Tyromairon and...Palpatine speaking.

"Well done, my _apprentice_..."

Several citizens turned, and froze.

Than, three large ships emerged over the city. "I have come to reveal the _true_ architect of this war..."

He then looked to me. "The _true_ cause of all this."

He then revealed another hologram. It showed Jack...at some type of control panel, and it said…

"Subject control panel, CIA, US Govt."

On the screen of the control panel, was a list of names. "Drew...Kenzi...Caesarius...all on the dates they arrived…."

"He _brought_ all of you here so he could _rule_ over you." The Mortalitas declared. "He tore you away from everything you ever knew, just so he could satisfy his desire to rule. He is not who he says he is."

He then showed one last hologram. It showed Jack...with the bodies of our parents…

Everything that happened here...was his fault…

It was all...his...fault.

There was dead silence. Everything seemed to have frozen in time.

All eyes were on Jack. I turned to face him, my eye twitching in absolute anger. My breathing was heavy. I was seething.

"You...you can't believe this guy!" Jack said, looking around. "I was brought here the same as all of you-" I cut him off.

"YOU SON OF A BITCH! I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU!" I couldn't control myself. He was the one who had our parents killed!? He is the reason we're stuck here!? I tackled him to the ground and reigned blow after blow upon him. I didn't stop for shit. My hand started to hurt, his blood started to get everywhere, but I didn't care.

Then, I felt myself knocked away from him by someone else.

When I got up, Kylie stood between me and Jack.

She looked around. Already, a mob was gathering.

I could see _everyone_ in the Dilanian Empire there. From looks of stunned silence to absolute rage.

"You bastard!" Someone screamed.

Then a gunshot rang out.

Carandial stepped forward with a pistol. He got between the angry crowd and the fallen Emperor.

"Come to your senses! He was here the same as us! Don't listen to this war criminal!" Carandial snarled, turning to the Mortalitas.

"Lying sack of shit!" Someone yelled.

Jack turned, and he saw C.G walking forward. "You doomed my people! You brought us here so you could-" She cried, tears running down her face.

Carandial got between them, holding the pistol up. "Please, Emp-"

"I trusted him! Out of the way lizard!"

Kenzi and Adia stood beside each other, keeping their distance from Jack. Kenzi was naturally pissed off, while Adia was mostly confused, though she felt anger as well. Kenzi wanted so badly to make things work and smooth things over, but now I could tell she wasn't gonna hold anything back.

Then, another gunshot rang out.

It was Caesarius. "We gave everything to you. And you lied to us all?!"

He turned to Carandial. "Out of the way."

Carandial stood strong. "You should know better then to listen to that bastard-"

He was suddenly cut off, when he was lifted off the ground. The Mortalitas was lifting him into the air with the force!

"If you will not see reason, you will die."

A sudden blast of energy, rescued the Basileus Admiral. A small shuttle descended nearby.

"Come on!" Admiral Helo Roslia cried from the ramp.

Kylie helped Jack to his feet while Carandial caught his breath. Oh hell no! I wasn't gonna let this fucker get away! Not again! I took out my rifle and took aim. They were quite a distance away, but I never missed!

Then, just as I fired, Kylie jumped between us! She fell to the ground, her stomach bleeding.

"Bastard!"

That kid Kylie was talking to rushed towards us. But he wasn't going for me. Instead, he picked Kylie up and after shooting one final look of rage at me, ran off after them.

As Jack reached the shuttle, he shot a look of utter rage at me.

"One day, Drew...One day you, and every single traitor on this planet will know the truth, and there will _never_ be forgiveness this time." Then, the shuttle's ramp lifted up as Kylie and her apparent boyfriend entered it. Already, Star Destroyers were firing on the shuttle as it flew into the air, before, finally, escaping into hyperspace.

Then, everyone turned to the Mortalitas and me.

The Mortalitas smirked, before turning to me. "Impressive, human." He commented. "I didn't expect many to believe me. I thought the bastard had you all indoctrinated." I shot a slight glare at him and merely began to leave.

"Well, not all of us blindly follow what that motherfucker says.." I said as I walked off.

"Wait!" I stopped in my tracks and turned to face _her_.

C.G and Caesarius looked utterly angry, C.G in particular.

Caesarius sighed, and stepped forward. "We would like to swear allegiance to New Edenia." I cocked a brow.

"Why the sudden change? I thought you didn't agree with my views.."

"When it turns out that the person you thought loved you didn't give a shit about you, you tend to rethink things." C.G sighed. I stood there in silence, deep in thought. With a sigh, I replied,

"Well.. What kind of person would I be to turn you away?.. Hell, y'all are still fucking family in my book.. Come home with me if you want. There's room for you all.."

Caesarius shook his head a bit. "Not just us. The entire...Empire needs a leader we can trust after this debacle. We formally request annexation into New Edenia. _All_ of us, from the Dilanian River in the south to the Mesas in the north. We will follow New Colossus, but remain in our homes as members of your kingdom." I nodded.

"I have no problem with that.." I said. "I wouldn't just leave everyone without a home and without a leader to help guide them. We can have them annexed as soon as today.."

Caesarius nodded, meanwhile, someone saluted me. "Long live the king!"

That was followed by a torrent of people repeating the same words. "Long live the king!"

"Long live the king!"

The Mortalitas smirked. "Long live the king."

I turned. "Yes, I am joining your kingdom. I would like to request a commission as an officer, if that is within your power, Sovereign King." I looked at him in slight surprise at the request. It's not like I really knew this guy that well.. Could I honestly trust him?

"That depends.." I said. "You've had experience in military before? If so, how long?"

He grinned. "200 years. I served in the Mortalitas Empire, the Confederacy of Allied Systems, the Galactic Empire of Cyrannus, the Cyrannian Imperial State. I am Zillum, bane of the Republic, and I believe that you are the best chance I have for gaining my revenge. In exchange for a position in your military, I shall serve you loyally, and destroy all your enemies. I just have one request." I stood there awestruck.

"200 years!?" I asked with shock. I snapped out of it quickly and then added. "What request?"

"Just the head of a little Libertus. After all, it has come to my attention that he and his republic aided Anderson in his enterprise here. All part of a coordinated effort between your government and the Republic."

"I'm sure you know who I am speaking of..." Zillum then added.

"Apollo?" I said aloud. I couldn't help but smirk a little bit. "I don't give a shit what you do with him. He's been a pain in my dick for the longest time anyways.."

Zillum grinned. "Then, by your command, the Republic shall die..."

He then bowed slightly.

Caesarius looked to Zillum before sighing. "Orders?" He asked us both. I looked to Caesarius and replied grimly,

"If the Republic poses a threat to New Edenia and its people, and are willing to side with Jack, then they must be exterminated before anything can come of it.." I paused and then finished. "There's no other option.."

Zillum smirked.

"Ready the fleet." He said to Caesarius.

"We have a war to win." I walked over to Kenzi and Adia, who had confusion on their faces.

"Drew, what's going on?" Kenzi asked me.

"Is everything okay, Daddy?" Adia added. I sighed and replied,

"There's no point in beating around the bush. You deserve to know the truth." I paused and then explained, "The Republic is siding with Jack.. They're gonna supply him aid and it poses a threat to New Edenia and to all of us.. That fucker has murder written all on his face! If we don't kill those who are siding with him to do this, then we remain in danger.."

They both looked shocked at my confession, but they quickly calmed down. Kenzi sighed and replied,

"As much as it seems wrong, I can't really object to it.. Things ain't like it used to be.." She looked up at me. "That fucker sent us here; sent us _all_ here! _He's_ the reason Mom and John are gone! If doing this keeps him from doing more evil, then I habit no problem with it.." I was honestly proud of Kenzi. She looked at things from both perspectives, and made some good points.

I looked at Adia, and she nodded in agreement after a few seconds of silence.

"I can't help but agree.." She bluntly said. "I'll miss Kovu, and I feel so bad he has to go through this.. But I'm not gonna let Jack harm _my_ family.. I just won't let him." I gave a slight smile. I was proud of her as well. Her and Kenzi both were looking out for family first, as well as our nation. And that's all that really mattered!

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 **Jack's POV**

How...how did this happen?!

This bastard comes in and everyone suddenly believes I am behind all of this?! I had lost everything!

"No."

I snapped out of my thoughts and looked up to Tyromairon.

"You still have your son and daughter. And you're still here to care for them."

I blinked. He was right! I still had my pride and joy.

Then I remembered, Kylie!

I got up, and rushed to the medbay. Kylie immediately perked up when I entered. Kovu and Stan were also there.

"Kylie...I'm so sorry. I should have protected you from that fucker... I-"

"Dad..." Kylie began. "It's not your fault. _None_ of this is."

To hear her say that with so much conviction...It made me so proud of her…

I smiled, and nodded. "It's not over. We can still find a new home."

I then realized something. We could still find a new home…

Kovu nodded. "I just can't believe Adia and everyone else turned against you so fast. Just on the word of some finhead."

I sighed. "I never wanted this for you. Any of this bullshit for you. I'm sorry."

I then stood up. "Carandial, Piett, Roslia, Palenix, Owen, Anakin, Luke, Simba, Nala...Tyromairon?" I asked on my communicator.

"Jack?" Carandial replied.

"Meet me in the medbay."

As they entered the room, I took a deep breath.

"Everyone, what was done today, to _every_ one of us was a crime!" I said firmly. "They turned against us on the words of a war criminal! They abandoned us, those we trusted most. But this is not the end!"

I took a deep breath again. "We have _this_."

I pulled out a replicator. "We will _live_. Free, strong, and peacefully! We will _not_ bow to tyrants. We will _not_ turn against each other. We will stand as one. United. Family."

I smiled a little. "I know it's cliche, but right now..." I began. "I consider each and every one of you my family. My _only_ family."

I grinned. "And I would _die_ to protect you."

Everyone looked to each other. Then, Tyromairon stepped forward. "As will I."

"And I." Anakin declared.

"And I." Luke added.

"You're still our emperor." Carandial then declared.

"I will follow your orders to the letter, my friend, my emperor, and my brother."

I smiled.

"Then on we go. To a new home, and a new start, for all of us."

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When the shuttle finally exited the void to a new world, we were a little surprised. While this was a new dimension, it was completely, utterly empty. No light, no stars, no planets. Nothing.

"Sir?"

I turned. Roslia seemed, perturbed by something on the radar.

I blinked. "What? What is it?"

He squinted a bit. "It looks like...a...replicator almost..."

I stopped. "Scan it. See if its safe."

He nodded. Within seconds, something the "all clear" signal arrived. It was safe.

I nodded for him to bring it in via the tractor beam.

When it arrived, I looked it over. Indeed, it looked just like the replicator, except...it was white.

I blinked, and pressed the button.

"Universal replicator online. Orders?"

I blinked. "Universal?" Kovu asked.

I pressed the help button.

"The Universal Replicator is designed to allow users to design their own universes. Planets, galaxies, stars, and other astronomical bodies can be created. Lifeforms must be given a standard week to generate according to their planet's conditions..."

I blinked. "We can _make_ our own universe..."

I grinned. "Oh... _man_..."

Everyone looked to each other, before grinning a bit.

I then began designing a new world… A vast, lush jungle full of tropical plants and trees, and warm, but not to humid. It would be the _perfect_ world for us. A garden of eden…

Finally, after some design, I designed our first solar system. The seven worlds of New Dilania.

The jungle world Calidonia, the snow planet Calvania, the volcanic planet Paladia, the gas giants Actinia and Telluria, and the resource rich worlds of Tantalus and Rondor.

"Everyone, from this solar system, we will rebuild. From this planet, we will start a new life. From this jungle, a new home. From this group, a new family."

"And one day we can take back what's ours?"

I turned to Simba.

I nodded. "One day, we'll return, and all of Chimaera will have a choice, submit, or _die_."

Nods of agreement followed, as everyone voiced their affirmation.

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 **No POV**

Silence arose as Zillum arrived on the bridge of the former Dilanian flagship, the Dreadnought _Spirit_ , now, the _Benevolent_.

"Orders, General?" An officer asked.

Zillum grinned, recognizing it as the Basileus Nirndal, an old friend.

"Ready the fleet. Deploy it to these coordinates."

He then added. "No prisoners. No mercy. No survivors."

Nirndal grinned sadistically.

"As you command."

Zillum then activated his communicator.

"Lord King?" He asked.

"The fleet is assembled. On your order, the republic shall fall. All you must do is give the command, and we'll destroy it." Drew stood there for a couple of seconds in silence. He then nodded and darkly said,

"I want no stone unturned.. Make sure no one survives.. Whenever you're ready."

Grinning sadistically, the evil Mortalitas, and now the greatest power in the New Edenian military, turned to his crew.

"All ships and men of this fleet! Of New Edenia, Dilania, and Cyrannica, this is your General!" He began.

"Today is the _end_ of the Republic! The _end_ of a regime that acquiesced to oppression." He continued, his cruel joy growing with every word.

"At this very _moment_ , in a city not far from here, the New Republic lied to the _world_ , while secretly supporting the _treachery_ of the loathsome false Emperor. This fierce armada which you have built, upon which we stand, will bring an end to the senate, to their pitiful fleet. All remaining cities will _bow_ to New Edenia, and will remember this as the _last. Day. of the republic!_ "

Cheers rang out from the crews of all three factions. As well as from the citizens.

With the might of three superpowers behind him, Zillum gave the single order. "Advance! Until the Republic is a smoldering ruin..."

"If you are going to truly capture the Senator," a voice began. Jade then stepped into view and continued, "then you will need someone with experience and expertise in that area. I've captured and assassinated I don't know how many.. He will fall just the same.."

Zillum nodded. "Very well. Admiral Nirndal will coordinate the air battle, while we lead the ground assault. My only request, Apollo will die by _my_ blade. The others, are yours..." Jade nodded and replied,

"As long as New Edenia and its peoples' safety are preserved, then it matters not who I kill.. Let's just extinguish the threat at hand.."

Zillum nodded.

Turning to Nirndal, he gave the fateful order.

"All ships...to the Republic!"

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The battle that followed was severely one-sided. The combined fleets of the Dilanian Empire, Cyrannic Empire and New Edenia pulverized what few defenses the Republic had, and within a matter of hours, itself was falling.

Then the presidential palace was entered. Zillum, Jade and a platoon of soldiers finally cornered Apollo in the office.

"You would be wise to just surrender now and keep things simple.." Jade told Apollo.

Behind the senator, several officials, including his close friend Athan Apostila, his father, Willelmus Cretacea, his children Kara and Laoi, Admirals Shavalera and Kuestantine, Commodore Thonaloc, and Captain Nezarachi, waited.

Apollo looked behind him. He knew that there was no chance.

With a heavy heart, he turned.

"I-"

Then, Zillum entered the room.

"How noble…" He said viciously, grinning like a fox who had cornered a rabbit. "The rest of you will survive, but I am afraid you, and your father will not. You've humiliated me far to much for me to forgive you, dear Apollo."

He activated his energy blade, and began to walk forward.

Apollo blinked, and closed his eyes, accepting his fate. Then, Willelmus Cretacea, as he had done so much before, stepped between them. "Its me you want Zillum, not him."

Zillum chuckled sadistically. "I'm afraid not, Admiral. You've both been a thorn in my side for far too long."

With that, he raised his blade…

Then, another figure entered the room.

"You are far too confident, Mortalitas."

Turning, Zillum's eyes widened as Tyromairon stepped into view. In his hands, he held a jet black lightsaber.

The looks on the faces of the Republic officials was one of shock. Why...was their most feared enemy... _rescuing_ them?!

The Oikoumene lord raised his weapon. "You impress me. Both of you, though, be it in a day or a millenium, your nation will die nonetheless."

With that, he rushed forward, his saber clashing with Zillum's. While the two duelled, a single ship broke through the wall, its ramp extended. "Come on!" Someone yelled.

The republic leaders immediately followed their instructions, and rushed to the ship. Jade quickly took out her fans and tossed them at the retreating leaders.

The fan struck Apollo's father, impaling him in the head, and he fell to the ground. "No!" Apollo cried. But it was too late. Admiral Cretacea was dead.

"Apollo! We must go!" Athan declared.

Finally, they reached the ship. Then, Zillum was thrown to the ground. His distraction complete, Tyromairon disappeared as the shuttle ascended into the sky. However, it was too late for the Republic fleet. They were outgunned and surrounded.

As Zillum got up, he said in rage.

"Nirndal...evacuate all ground troops. When the last shuttle returns, burn this city to the ground."

 **Jade's POV**

I stand there overlooking what remain of the now nonexistent republic's capital city. Flames scorched every building, bodies lay strewn all over the place. Men, women, and even children were not spared.. They were all slaughtered..

On the one hand, it sickened me how innocent civilians, especially children, were brutally murdered for New Edenia's agenda.. But on the other, you can never be too careful. They used seemingly innocent children as spies all the time back when I served Outworld.

Do I think all of them were, or could've been? Absolutely not. Do I think what we did is wrong in a way? Of course it was. But did we have much of a choice? The answer is no.. I for one wasn't about to let this republic side with Jack so they could return in cold blood to kill those I love! They couldn't have _any_ leverage whatsoever, so that meant _everyone_ had to suffer the same, untimely fate..

Not wanting to look at it anymore, I sighed and walked back towards home. A lot sure has happened today, and right now I was about ready to rest..

 **Drew's POV**

I sat where I usually did in the Meeting Hall, alone.. The only sounds that echoed through the empty hall was the ticking of a clock, and my breathing. I sat there, deep in thought.

' _What am I DOING!?'_ I thought. ' _I'm just letting those innocent people die because of this Kingdom. What the fuck is WRONG with me!? I'm losing it! I have been for awhile..'_

I sighed and I ran my hands through the back of my hair. The guilt was literally eating me alive! I understood why we had to do it; why I even allowed it in the first place. But this was just fucking _insane_!

I honestly didn't know what to make of all this.. Right now, I just wanted to _forget_ about it and focus on my family.. They are the most important thing to me in this life. I love them and would do anything for them! Just as I started to stand up and leave the room, I heard another sound go off.

It sounded like I was getting a transmission on the giant screen! Curious, I turned around to face it, to see who it might be.

The image of a gnarled, scarred man in a hood came on. His eyes were sickly yellow, and his skin wrinkled and pale as bone.

"Congratulations on your victory over the New Cyrannic Republic, _King_ Drew." He said with a smirk, his voice sending shivers down my spine.

"I am Emperor Palpatine of the Galactic Empire. I am here to make you an offer. Peace. A trade agreement, and recognition of your supremacy over all other nations in Chimaera."

So _that's_ who this Palpatine fucker was! As much as I wanted to immediately decline in harsh fashion, I stopped to think: What if this deal could benefit us? I haven't heard the whole thing yet, after all.. I cocked a brow and asked him,

"What kind of 'trade agreement'?"

Palpatine grinned. "It would allow both the worlds of my empire and the cities of your kingdom to trade with each other. We both have much to gain from this. I will even allow you to claim a few worlds in the backwater regions of my galaxy. Many of these, such as Ryloth, Kashyyk, Geonosis, and especially Lothal are particularly troublesome when it comes to accepting my...peace. Perhaps you could liberate them where we couldn't?"

He then continued. "Our states are both superpowers. There is much to gain and little to lose from a partnership."


	18. Chapter 18, Reflection

**Alex's POV**

"What the fuck is going on?" I yelled in Drew's face, holding him above me by his throat. I had stormed into his chambers, immobilised his guards and destroyed the door with my repulsor in an effort to express my disappointment with the one who disrupted the armistice, one that had ceased the suffering of innocent people dragged into a war nobody wanted.

"What the hell is your problem?" Drew gasped, his voice crushed by the strength of my vibranium-coated hand.

"I want to know why you have aligned yourself with a totalitarian ass-face," I growled.

"It is what is best for our people," Drew gasped.

"Don't give me that shit, your people were fine while the armistice was prevailing, I will not have you play politics with your own self-interests," I said.

"What will you do? Kill me? Have an entire nation mourn and succumb to instability?" Drew questioned.

"You think low of me? I am not a disruptor of thrones, nor am I a destroyer of worlds. I am one who shall protect the ideals of peace, liberty and justice. I thought your resurrection would enlighten you, but I fear it has done the adverse," I answered.

"If you knew the pressures of ruling a realm…" Drew attempted to reason with me.

"I do, actually. I was once the Co-King of my version of the Pride Lands, and right now, I'm struggling to see what I was brought here for, what purpose, what use do I have if everyone is going to stab each other's back?"

"I don't know, Drew, what I shall do now. You don't make it easy to be loyal to you," I said.

"I'm sorry, Alex. This was the only way. The guys who I'm dealing with don't mess about. They can destroy entire planets and civilisations," Drew explained his predicament.

"If I refused, we would have been an enemy of a very powerful empire."

"They may have power, but do they have strength? My arc reactor is powered by the Seventh Infinity Stone, which technically means that I have the power to equal their feats. But do I act upon my wishes when I am influenced by anger, grief or hatred? No. I have the strength to refuse. I have the strength and wisdom to suppress my darkness."

"I don't think they care about all this 'wisdom' shit, they get what they want, always," Drew countered.

"Those who think of themselves as above their subjects are those who are the first to fall. The French knew that, the Russians knew that. I know that," I said.

"What would you do, when you see… _him_ with the corpses of your parents. Do you know what it's like to be so helpless that you feel like the most insignificant being in the entire universe?" Drew asked.

"I failed to prevent the deaths of both my parents, but I did not confront the guilt, the pain and anger until it was almost too late. You and I have had the same experience, more or less, but maybe we have different viewpoints. You want to protect your people, as would anyone. However, it is not acts of great magnitude that enable an empire to survive, it is everyday deeds of love and kindness that holds corruption and evil at bay. The elite wish to control fate to their own desire, they have the power to shape the world in their view, but the little man has the strength to resist." I said.

"The weak exist for _one_ reason. To be controlled by the strong."

I turned, and saw the same war criminal that burned the Republic to the ground step in.

"Unhand the King, or..." He activated an energy blade. "Things will get unfortunate..."

"Unfortunate for you, perhaps. There is a fuckin' Infinity Stone inside my chest, I am coated in vibranium. Therefore, I shall unhand the King by my on will," I said, as I allowed Drew drop to the floor.

"Are we done here?" Drew asked.

"Yes, I am done. You may hereby treat my as an enemy, for I renounce my loyalty to this realm," I declared before walking towards a bay window, shot it with my repulsor in an explosion of shards of glass.

My arc reactor grew light, and my heart stopped for a brief moment.

"Catch me if you can."

I disappeared from the sight of my new foes, having used the power of the Infinity Stone to fly at the speed of light.

"He shall rue the day that he renounced his loyalty to us," Zillum announced.

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 **Jack's POV**

I grinned. Our new world was coming together. Our little base was complete. A barracks, a factory replicator, and a warehouse.

Our new army gave us security, while our plans for making a civilian population would give us a true empire.

"Jack?"

I blinked, snapping out of my thoughts.

"Yeah?" I asked.

Piett walked forward. "We detected an anomaly about a mile away."

I cocked a brow at that. "Enemy forces?"

He shook his head. "Just a single humanoid lifeform. Shall we send a squad to check it out?"

I shook my head. "No, I'll handle it."

I grabbed my coat and lightsaber, and headed off. You can never be too careful.

I climbed into my jeep wrangler, and drove off.

Finally, I spotted a young man, with long brown hair and light stubble covering his face and sunglasses.

Wait…

I think I…

Oh no…

How the hell did _he_ get here?!

I stopped the car, and climbed out.

He checked his small pocket on his dirty torn flannel and took out a small bag and some rolling paper. As I walked up, he didn't seem to even notice me.

I grinned, and yelled as loud as he could.

"Yo Danny! What the hell are you doing here?!"

He lit the paper with a lighter that was in his pocket and blew a big puff of smoke.

I blinked. Sometimes...Scratch that, _all_ the time, I didn't know what to do with Danny.

"Yo man been a while." He held up his hand for a high five.

I grinned. Maybe I _needed_ someone like Danny around, after all the shit that's been going on.

"What's up man?" I finally laughed, high-fiving him. It was just like sixth grade again. Well, he broke his arm that year, but you get the idea.

He gave a smirked and squeezed my hand as hard as he could. "Say Mercy." He chuckled.

I cocked a brow, grabbed his hand, and used the force to nearly break his hand.

"Damn! You were never a good sport!" Danny said still laughing clenching his wrist.

I rolled my eyes.

He smiled and laughed off the pain, he pulled me into a hug. " Ahhhhhh it's good to see you man!"

I nodded. "Likewise. C'mon, let's get back to base."

He looked confused. I heard him mutter under his breath, "the fuck?"

I sighed, having to remind myself that he was from the real world.

"Alright, I'll give you the short, short version." I said. "I am- _was_ Emperor of this empire. I got kicked out because of some scandal, and now me and my friends and family are here. Long story, don't ask about the details."

Danny swiped the lightsaber off my belt saying. "Hey what's this?"

He then looked into the hilt's hole, holding it dangerously close to his eye.

I blinked, momentarily entertaining the idea of activating it.

I sighed, and force pulled it from his hand.

I then activated it and used it to scorch a mark into the ground, emphasizing how dangerous it was.

He looked dumbfounded "Holy shit!"

I nodded. "Idiots and lightsabers do not mix. So, you no touchy, you no die!" I said emphasizing the last part.

"Yeah, yeah. Alright bro whatever you say you got any beer in that truck of yours?"

I blinked. "It's a jeep, Danny-why am I even explaining this. Just get in the car."

" I don't care if its a fucking jeep or a goddamn cannon as long as it has beer I'm happy! " He said a bit to seriously.

I blinked and said in the saddest voice possible. "Danny," I put a hand on his shoulder. "There's no beer there."

To my my surprise he collapsed on the ground. He slammed his fist on the soil in absolute sadness. "Jack! You maniac! You did it! You finally, really did it!"

I looked at him. "Oh shut up you alcoholic."

I helped him up. "I can make you a shot when we get back to base okay? Will that shut you up?"

"Even better you could give me my own bar." He smirked.

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah sure, and maybe I'll give you a royal title."

He perked up immediately. "Really?"

"No."

He got up and hopped into the jeep, "Then I'll happily take that shot of the hardest shit you got stocked."

I blinked. I got into the jeep. "Tyromairon's probably going to kill you on the first day."

With that, I drove him back.

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I parked the car by the fence, and got out.

It was then I noticed Kylie practicing with her own lightsaber, while Anakin oversaw her progress.

She stopped when she saw me.

"Hey dad!" She said, waving over.

I waved back.

Danny looked at Kylie and then at me. "Well shit." He nudged me with a shit eating grin on his face"Sooooooooooooooo whos the lucky lady you… well ya know?" as he made a bunch of suggestive hand movements.

I looked at Danny. Then, with a single wave of my hand, I sent him falling to the ground.

"Ah damn! What the fuck?!"

"Long story. Don't bring that up." I said, this time seriously.

He looked up at me in a somewhat shocked way, with his sunglasses hanging off his face. "Yeah,,, no problem man." He gave a friendly smile as he got up "You know you can talk to me about anything man."

"Who's this?" Kylie asked, a little curious.

I shrugged. "Old friend, was really close with him a few years back."

Danny held out his hand "Nice to meet you kid."

Kylie looked at him for a minute, before smiling, and shaking his hand.

"Nice to meet you."

"Hey, you've been giving your dad hell for me?" he asked with a friendly smile.

She grinned.

I sighed. "Yes, unfortunately."

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 **Drew's POV**

I was currently laying in bed just a couple hours after the incident with Alex. And the worst part?

It was only noon..

I heavily sighed and put the pillow over my face. Saying that I was pissed at myself was an understatement!

' _I just let that guy grab me and choke me like a fucking ragdoll! So much for future Marine!..'_ I angrily thought.

This wasn't a one time deal: this happened in _every_ fucking conflict I've been in! I couldn't fight for nothing! I don't think I've won a single fight since I've been here..

I grabbed the pillow off my face and threw it hard against the wall. I shot out of bed and threw a punch at the nearby closet door that was made of wood, making a small crack in it.

"This is _bullshit_!" I yelled aloud, not caring who heard. "I'm sick of these fuckers! I'm sick of superpowers! I'm sick of the Force! I'm sick of _everything_!"

With my rant out of the way, I dropped back onto the bed. I stared up at the ceiling, still seething with anger, though I kept my emotions inside of me, hiding most of it.

Then, I heard footsteps approaching towards the door. The door quickly opened, revealing Jade.

"What is wrong, Drew!?" She asked. "I could hear you yelling from there!" I was still angry, but I masked it the best I could when I spoke.

"It's… I don't wanna talk about it! It's nothing really.." I quickly said. Jade cocked a brow and put her hands on her hips.

"I know it is something, Drew!" She exclaimed. Her tone and expression then softened as she sat down next to me on the bed with a sigh. "What is it that troubles you, my love? Maybe I could be of help.."

My expression too, softened at her words. I sighed and looked down at the floor as I spoke.

"It's-" I began. My gaze immediately shot to Jade. "It's about what happened with that motherfucker, Alex! I was defenseless and was being manhandled like a fucking ragdoll! I can't _fight,_ Jade.. I can't fight these superpowered, skilled bastards especially! I'm just a normal guy.. I'm just like someone who would be from that 'Earthrealm' you spoke of.." There was a few seconds of silence, Jade taking in every word of what I was saying.

"I don't even know what the fuck I'm doing.." I sulked. "Why am I King of all people?.. Someone else could just as easily be a better King.. One who can actually defend their people. All I can do is shoot a fucking gun! That's literally _it_! Anything else relating to combat.. I wouldn't last.." I shook my head and finished, "I'm fucking useless.."

I was interrupted by Jade slapping me in the side of the head. I held it in pain and yelled,

"Ow! Dammit! That hurt!" I turned to face her and began, "Why did you-"

"You are _not_ useless, Drew!" Jade yelled. "That I can assure you of.." I cocked a brow.

"You're just saying that, aren't you?.. I-"

"I'm not just saying anything!" Jade countered. "You're _far_ from what you perceive yourself to be! You showed me what true friendship, and true love was. You've done _everything_ for Kenzi and Adia.. You raised one since she was born, and went through _everything_ together with the other! You've led these people away from Jack's tyranny and formed a new nation! New Edenia has had its share of problems, but it has mostly prospered!" She put her hand on my shoulder and continued,

"Even Liu Kang was from Earthrealm.." She said while looking my directly in the eyes. "And he was the champion of Mortal Kombat.. It's what you make if your situation, and what you do to improve upon yourself, that makes you a better person tomorrow.. Train in the art of combat. Do it constantly, day after day.. And you will get better.." I sat there in awe. She had really stunned me with her words.

"Thank you, Jade.. I needed that." I smiled and said, "I love you.." She smiled back and replied,

"I love you too.." We both leaned in and passionately kissed for several seconds. I don't know what I'd do without her and my family! They were the most important thing in this world to me.. When we pulled away, I asked,

"Who would I train with? How would I train? It's just so-"

"I will train you.." Jade cut me off. She smiled and held my hand reassuringly.

"Y- You would?.." I asked in shock. She nodded.

"Of course.. I want what would make you happy.. And if being able to kick someone's ass would make you happy, then I'll do what I can to help." She ended with a smirk. I gave a smirk of my own.

"This is why I love you.." I commented. "I appreciate it, Jade." She nodded with a smile and put her mask back on. As she was about to exit the room, I said,

"Hold up, Jade!" She turned around and cocked a brow. "There's… one more thing I wanted to tell you. I've been wanting to do this for days now!" I excitedly and knowingly said.

"What is it?" Jade asked as she walked towards me. I got down on one knee and showed her a ring that I made with the Replicator. She gasped in shock.

"Are you-" I nodded with a smirk.

"Yep!" I confidently said. "This ring is crafted out of jade diamond and is carved in the symbol of the Edenian Kamidogu.. I remember much of what you told me of your homeland, and I thought you would like it.." She looked lost for words and stuttered.

"I- I love it! Thank you!.." She actually had a single tear fall down her cheek. "This is by far the most genuinely noble thing anyone has ever done for me.." With a smile, I said,

"Well get used to it! Because no matter what, I'm gonna be there for you.." She smiled warmly. "Will you marry me, Jade?" I questioned. Her response was a kiss on the lips.

"Of course.." She answered. "I wouldn't have it any other way.. I would be honored to be your Queen, and your soulmate forever." We both hugged and I slipped the ring on her finger soon after.

Well, it was official! We were now engaged to be married! And I was gonna learn how to actually fight! At least life _seems_ to be turning around. For now though, I'm just gonna enjoy this moment with the one I love..

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 **Drew's POV**

It was now around 10:00 at night. I had spent all day with my love, and even had my first lesson in fighting! Long story short: I got my ass kicked. Again.. But still, I suppose that's a part of the learning process! There's a lot more to it than I once thought, and it's not just something you can master in a day..

I was currently laying in bed beside a now sleeping Jade. I had to smile at the sight. Not too long ago I had given up on life, but now I was more excited than ever to start living it! Everything was pure bliss right now.. I was truly happy.

But still, there would be lots of work to be done.. I had made some dumbass decisions recently, and now it was up to me to fix them! I wasn't in my right state of mind, and I fucked up.. But at least now I could work on making things right. We were all scared, _all_ worried for New Edenia and its people back when Jack was exiled.. It was a moment of weakness and rash decisions for us all. But now we saw things clear as day.. The healing process could now begin..

I looked out of the window. Outside, a small, but noticeable crowd had gathered, holding signs and chanting slogans. I could hear something along the lines of "Justice for Pax'Cyran" or something, as well as "Butcher of the Republic." I widened my eyes in shock. With a sigh, I muttered,

"I knew something like this would happen.."

"What's going on?" I heard Jade ask me, the noise outside waking her up. I looked her in the eye and answered,

"Protesters.. It's about the Republic. Now's the time to start making up for my mistakes.. I'll deal with it, and then we can get back on track." Jade nodded in understanding and said,

"I know how violent protests can get.. If you need any assistance-" I shook my head.

"I'll be fine, Babe.." I smiled and added. "I promise. It won't take too long." She smiled back and nodded.

"Okay." I gave her a kiss on the cheek as I walked out of the room. Now for the fun part..

I made it to the window by the front door and peeked outside. The crowd was pretty sizable up close! And they looked pretty pissed! I'd better make my next move _very_ carefully..

"Genocide!" Someone yelled. "War crime!"

Then, a platoon of soldiers led by Caesarius approached, causing me to gasp.

"Oh fuck.." I whispered. What was he _doing_!?

"Disband!" He yelled, his voice thundering, and silencing the crowd.

There was silence, then someone yelled to him. "You support the very war criminal you fought in the Great Cyrannus War? The one who destroyed your own-"

"I _support_ the king." Caesarius replied. "Now, disperse, or you will be met with appropriate force."

He then turned to his troops, who readied their riot shields and batons.

" _Stop_!" I yelled as I stormed out of my house. I ran towards them and stopped in front of Caesarius and the troops. "We don't gotta do things this way!"

He looked at me. "If you have another solution, your majesty, please say it. We _must_ keep order in these dangerous times." I sighed and spoke to everyone present.

"I know.. And I'll admit guys, I've fucked up I don't know _how_ many times! Ever since my loss against Jack and the Dilanian Empire all those months ago, I've never truly been the same.." Everyone stood in silence, intently listening as I continued.

"I went apeshit when I found out Jack was responsible for us being here. I allied with that shady motherfucker, Zillum. Me and my nation helped him _destroy_ the Republic, even killing innocent civilians and children for fucks sake! Those are the actions of a _monster_! I'm just like Jack! I'm no better than he is! And now I've made an agreement with Palpatine! An agreement I should've _never_ taken!" Everyone absorbed my words. I sighed and said,

"But… It's not too late for me to right these wrongs.. I can't make _everything_ exactly how it was, but, I can at least make amends and make things right somehow.." I looked at everyone. "I'm renouncing my deal with Palpatine. I'm not associating myself and New Edenia with Zillum. I'm gonna help _whoever_ survived that massacre rebuild and start anew! _That's_ on me!" I faced the protesters and dropped my rifle to the ground. I held my arms out to my side and concluded,

"However, if you feel I need to be rightfully punished and executed for my actions, then… I won't stop you.."

Caesarius blinked, before a sudden beeping on his communicator startled everyone.

He looked down, and pressed it.

"-The fleet has been sabotaged! Most of our vessels have been hijacked or disabled! Zillum and several officers have taken a large amount of other ships!" Someone yelled. "We require immediate-"

He was cut off by the sickening sound of a knife stabbing into flesh.

"Pity, false king." Zillum's voice said. "We could have made a great alliance. But now...you have made a powerful enemy. Don't worry, we will return one day, and I'll run your kingdom into the ground."

"You're more dumb than I once thought.." Drew blankly told Zillum. "If you were smart, you would kill us all now.. I may not be very powerful with my fists, but with my mind, I'll devise a plan to make you wish you and your allies were _never_ born.."

"Oh, dear king..." Zillum replied. "You wouldn't be so cocky if you could see where your daughter was right now..." I widened my eyes in shock and fear.

"Where the fuck is Adia!? What have you done with her!?" I demanded.

"On my flagship. I'll let her return, but know that if you fire on us, then I'll kill her, and make you watch and listen as I tear _every_ single cell from her body one at a time. When we are out of range, I'll send her on an escape pod back to you, but if you interfere with our escape, then she dies."

I gritted my teeth in utmost anger. How _dare_ this motherfucker threaten my daughter like that!? You know, if I were as powerful as Kratos or some shit, I wouldn't hesitate to rip the fucker's _head_ off! I sighed, and I hesitantly got out,

"Fine.."

"Excellent. Oh, and as a parting gift. What I showed you about Jack, all that I showed you, that was a lie. Congratulations, you committed genocide, crucified an innocent man, and let your daughter be threatened. Truly the epitome of a fine king. And I am very sure Jack will be forgiving, especially after you took his Empire from him...Well, until next time, King Drew."

I stood there in silence. I was at a loss for words. My eye was twitching, veins were protruding from my neck, and I was shaking in utmost anger. This sight made everyone back up a bit. I honestly couldn't bring myself to say anything..

" _There is no escape..._ "

I knew that voice. Tyromairon.

" _One day...We'll return..._ "

I shook my head.

"At this point, Tyromairon.." I finally spoke. "I don't care… My world has been ripped to pieces.."

"Just as you destroyed mine."

That was Jack.

"Just as you burned mine to the ground."

That was Apollo.

"Tyrant." Tyromairon hissed.

"Butcher." Apollo snapped.

"Traitor." Jack said malevolently.

"No.." I whispered while shaking my head in denial. "No.. No, that's not true.."

"The blood of those women and children you butchered at Pax'Cyran is on _your_ hands!" Apollo snarled.

"You took _everything_ from me!" Jack said viciously.

"You are. _Nothing_." Tyromairon finally finished.

"You know, you and your father...you're more similar than you think. In fact, We'd say you are the same. The apple didn't fall far from the tree in your case." They said together.

"NO!" I yelled at the top of my lungs, startling everyone present. "I am NOT my father! I will NEVER be my father! You don't know what I've been through!"

"You're right. You're not your father." Tyromairon said.

"You're worse." Apollo replied.

"What would your mother think? Of all those families you murdered?" Jack finally asked. I froze. I looked down and quietly said,

"She would be disappointed.. She wouldn't know what to think.. Even John.. I have failed them both.. I failed everyone. I'm no better than Brandon was. You're right.."

Silence…

"What you've done. What you _allowed_ to be done, can _never_ be erased." Jack finally said.

"I may be a monster.. I may not be able to take back what I've done.." I began. "But I won't let anyone stop me from making things better! No one! They'll have to kill me first.. I _will_ protect my family! Protect my nation! And I'm gonna do what I should've done a long time ago: look out for _others_! Not just myself.."

"Time will tell." Tyromairon replied, though in a more neutral tone.

"Prove that you are no genocidal tyrant." Apollo added.

"Lest your judgement will be eternal, and you will die alone, hated, and reviled." Jack then finished.

I looked out into the distance blankly. After a moment of silence, I concluded,

"Very well.." I then added. "The time for talk has ended, and the time for action has begun.."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 **Meanwhile on Striker Base**

 **Rexys P.O.V**

I smiled as I heard the door open to the command bridge of my new Executor class flagship as Kicker and STD-456 along with the other high Ranking clones and droids arrived at the bridge.

(TD-23) "All civilians,military personnel, equipment and wildlife have been loaded on the ships and are waiting to evacuate Grand Admiral"

I smiled as i saw all batteries on Striker Base territory raise up and begin to fire upon any Imperial or traitorous Edenian ship that was within range as I ordered. "Initiate self-destruction sequence... Code Falco"

The massive fleet then began to prepare to jump upon hyperspace...locking onto the Ion trail left by Jacks Fleet….planning to follow their Route and end in any system that was near theirs.

Meanwhile on Rexy's part of Chimaera the city and entire territory began to blow up in flames. Ensuring the Empire nor New Edenia would be able to get their hands on anything in it as Rexy's fleet made the jump into hyperspace.

 **Unknown P.O.V**

Our fleet composed of Obelisk class Assault ships, Stanchion Class Ships and Cantilever ships accompanied by Grineer galleons and a Relay along with various tenno ships was waiting for the incoming fleet to pass by.

For quite some time The Corpus, Grineer Queens and the Lotus and her Tenno have all been aware of this expanding war in this Nexus.

A neutral reunion had been made in which all factions have discussed their opinions on this matter and their possible future involvement in it. The Lotus had taken particular interest in Jack and his daughter...feeling a unknown power emanating from them..and wished to ask _our_ chosen to have a chance to meet them.

The Grineer Queens being the greedy backstabbing snakes they were didn't seem to be interested in the factions...but in their territories and possessions..but for now had declared to be neutral for the time being.

As for us The Corpus Trading Alliance….me and the other high ranking members have taken a particular interest in this _Rexy_ as he was called. We had been watching every event on that system the whole time….and most importantly his faction.

It had shown its high chances of being a valuable. This Rexy was a capable commander and a very intelligent war...since he had sided with one of the already existing factions hut when he deserted his faction built a well established Capital and territory.

My thoughts were quickly interrupted as a Corpus crewman informed me that his fleet was approaching fast.

I smiled as I ordered "Activate Warp…..lets introduce ourselves"

 **Rexys P.O.V**

Suddenly my eyes widened as my entire fleet was sucked by a strange Black Hole that pulled it out of hyperspace.

I sent a transmission to the Rebels and to Jack "MAYDAY,MAYDAY WE HAVE BEEN PULLED OUT OF HYPERSPACE….OUR COORDINATES ARE IN THIS TRANSMISSION...AN UNKNOWN FLEE-"

The transmission cut off as our long range comms where being jammed...the in panicked chatter as Kicker pointed to the window and said "Rexy..I mean Grand Admiral look!"

I looked in shock and absolute fear at the sight in front of me as I said "By the force….this isnt possible!

There amassed in a huge fleet were the ships that had constantly been watching us. Scans identified that the ships under 500 meters long were of a faction called Tenno...while the ones that were 2000 meters long where of a faction called Grinner.

But the real sight was the ships of the faction that had stalked Chimaera for so long. They called themselves Corpus. Their smallest ships were at a fucking size of 3500 METERS!

Their medium ships were LARGER than my Mandators…with a size of flipping 10000 METERS! Then I felt like a baby when i saw the large ships whose shapes reminded the Rebel hammerhead corvettes.

Well….nearly if it wasn't for their fucking 10000 meters in height and 26000 meters in length!

One of the troopers then said "Sir...they are trying to contact us…."

I stood there in shock and for the first time...in fear as I said "P...put it through"

The holograms took the shapes of several ugly freaks that resembled humans...but only faintly. Along with a woman who wore a strange hat flanked by several humanoid creatures with swords and weapons and finally...a group who seemed to wear suits with Square pressurized helmets.

I just cringed as I saw the ugly freakish looking things as one said "The Elder Queen and Worm Queen of the Grineer Empire request a audience" to which I couldn't help but say "Wait... _Those things_ are females?!"

One of the ugly and older looking Grineer said "HOW DARE YOU INSULT OUR QUEENS"

The Woman then looked at their holograms and said "Silence Vor! We all are here to negotiate a treaty not start a War...I am the Lotus….Mother of the Tenno"

One of the humans then said "Allow us The Corpus Board of Directors to introduce ourselves, My name is Frohd Bek..Chairman of the Board of Directors...along me is our leader Nef Anyo...and former members Alad V and Ergo Glast...and my Son Darvo"

I just stood there confused by what was happening but nevertheless sat with my high ranking droids and clones and introduced ourselves...once introductions where done I asked "Why have you been watching us"

The Lotus looked at me as she said "Your war is having a great impact on other systems...we all have agreed that at its current rate we will be involved soon as well...since its core moments seem to be always partaken in your planet we had no choice but to keep a eye on it"

"The Lotus is right...as far as it concerns the Corpus...we have no desire to oppose you...we are a very capable force but above all we are traders...your faction seems to be one of the most adaptable and beneficial ones thus we seek a beneficial agreement or treaty" Frohd Bek continued.

Vor laughed as he said "Hah! As expected of the greedy money leeches of the Corpus...The Queens declare that the Grineer Empire shall be neutral for now...but soon all those who try to oppose us shall be crushed"

For the Grineer part...they ended their transmission as their ships left...as it was now the Lotus,Tenno and Corpus who were speaking with me as i said "I accept the treaty….what's in for me?"

Frohd Bek said "Technical Support...along with weapons,Equipment and machines as well as support from the Tenno...but Lotus wishes to try and meet Jack"

I sighed "I can try to meet him..but first i must reach the new system I wish to colonize"

The hologram of leader of the Corpus got up as he said. "Its settled then...the Lotus and ant Tenno she wishes will accompany you...along with Darvo and Alad V"

The mentioned people nodded as Alad V chuckled like a maniac as he said "I wonder what new ideas I can get from your equipment…."

"hey hey! Easy there! I'm not doing anything till we get there!" With that said...My fleet and part of the Corpus fleet along with the Relay and part of the Tenno fleet jumped into hyperspace again.


	19. Chapter 19, Hope

**Caesarius' POV**

"Sir?"

I sighed, turning around to face the lower ranking officer. "Yes?"

"We...you might want to look at this?"

He held up a single image. It was of…

Jack, and all the others who left with them in some kind of facility.

I froze.

Drew had to know about this.

 **Drew's POV**

"We scanned the image, and have pinpointed their location. Orders?" Caesarius asked. I looked at Caesarius and replied bluntly,

"We will do nothing."

Caesarius blinked. "Not even send out a diplomat to meet with them and attempt to establish peace?" I sighed.

"If Jack truly wanted to establish peace, surely he would've done it by now.. But, then again.." I paused. "This new information we've received from that fucker, Zillum, could help smooth things over.. You must understand that I'm just trying to avoid conflict. There's too much blood on my hands already.. You get that, right?"

He nodded. "But still, if there is a chance at peace, perhaps we should take it. Or, since they have very few defenses, we should use our larger military to...occupy them and remove them from attacking us in the future?" I shook my head.

"No, Caesarius.. We can't do that.. If you had asked me that just last week, I would've been all for it. But…" I sighed. "That's not who I am anymore.. We will establish an opportunity for peace. However, we will travel with no troops." Caesarius widened his eyes at me like I was crazy.

"But...your majesty?! Surely a little caution is necessary? We can't trust them-" Before I cut him off.

"Caesarius, I understand where you're coming from.. But sometimes a little blind faith can go a long way. When I was about to die, I had a near death experience. I saw my parents, and I had spiritual visions.. They said I was put where I am now because I have a destiny to fulfill.. They told me to be who I always have been, and I would fulfill that destiny.. Call me crazy, but I think this is the first step to attaining true bliss and tranquility among us all.." I began to head out the door, before finishing.

"Come with me if you want. But as for me, I'm going anyways.. I need to right my many wrongs from the past.."

"Can I come to?"

We turned to see C.G approaching.

"C.G.?" I asked with a cocked brow. I looked at Caesarius, and then back to her. "You wanna go? Are you sure about this?"

She nodded. "I feel awful about what I said to him, and I feel I need to let him know that...I still love him. I lost him once, I won't do it again." I nodded.

"I understand that.." I told C.G. "Just remember though, it's not your fault.. We were _all_ tricked by that snake! It was so convincing.. Should things go south down there, just know you are always welcome in New Edenia."

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We descended into the atmosphere of this planet. As we did so, we could see a small base in a clearing. The same shuttle, complete with scorch marks from taking fire, that Jack left on was just outside the base.

We landed on the other side of the clearing, and there was no fire or even acknowledgement from the base's occupiers.

As the three of us descended the ramp, we spotted Jack, Carandial, and someone we didn't recognize.

They began to approach. Carandial had an angry expression on his face, his lips curled in distaste. The new guy had a confused, curious expression. Jack, however, had an emotionless expression.

"Fancy meeting y'all here-" I began to say before being cut off.

"What the hell do you want?" Carandial asked, glaring at all three of us. I ignored his ferocity and spoke.

"We seek an audience with you.." I declared. "And a little bit of your time.."

Jack cocked a brow.

The new guy, confused look turned to a crooked smile like he was trying to hold back laughter.

Jack sighed. "What? Are you here to demand our complete surrender? Is destroying and uprooting us and our lives not enough?" He asked calmly. I startled him and everyone else by tossing my rifle right at his feet.

The new guy took out a lighter and started flipping it opened and closed with a look of boredom on his face.

"I ain't demanding shit." I told him. "I only seek peace between us. Too much blood has been shed. It is time to _stop_ the senseless bullshit!" I motioned towards the rifle and finished, "However, if you don't believe me.. If it'll _truly_ make up for what I've done, then shoot me where I stand.."

Jack blinked, before kicking the rifle back. "You don't _deserve_ that. The time it would take to kill you is more than I am willing to give." He then turned to C.G. "Why should I believe you? When it was you who stole _everything_ from me?"

C.G blinked. "Jack...please." I could see she was starting to tear up.

Jack looked at her with a hateful expression. "Don't give me that shit!" He snapped.

"Hey!" I interjected. "Don't talk to her like that! Can't you see she's trying to make amends? That we're _all_ trying to make amends!?"

"What you've done is _unforgivable_!"

Then I saw Apollo and Tyromairon step into view.

Apollo walked forward, and said viciously. "You _butchered_ my people. We had done _nothing_. Because of you my father and twenty thousand people, almost all of them civilians are gone!"

Jack nodded, before turning back to me.

"You turned against me. She turned against me."

He then turned back to C.G.

"Jack, please! Just stop this. I love you!" C.G whimpered.

Jack froze. Then, his eyes narrowed. "Liar!" He yelled.

He then turned to me. " _You_ turned her against me! You _took_ her from me! You took _everything_ from me." I looked on with an angered expression.

"Me? How the fuck is that _my_ fault!? They made their own decisions, not me! What would _you_ do if you saw someone you once called a brother with the corpses of your parents!? It looked so _lifelike_! We were _all_ fooled by Zillum! It was _him_ that tricked us into turning against you and the Republic! He wanted them _dead_!" I countered.

"GUYS SHUT UP ALREADY!" The new guy exclaimed.

The new guy started to wander away from the group before his lighter was pulled from him using the force.

Jack held it, and looked down at it, before saying.

"I don't _care_. You could have at least have given me the benefit of a fair trial!"

"Just like you did for me before casting me out to the Badlands?" I asked.

Jack stepped forward. "Just like I _would_ have done-"

"Jack please!" C.G begged getting between them.

"Please. Just...come back. Help me raise our children. _All_ of our children."

Jack looked at her blankly.

"You're _not_ my mother."

By this point, all of Jack's supporters had arrived. Including the one who said that, Kylie.

Simba and Nala also joined in.

"You betrayed us all that day." Simba snarled. "Tell dear old dad that what you and your kingdom did is unforgivable."

Jack held up his hand.

He then looked at C.G. Her eyes were watering from the tears.

"You all abandoned us." He said calmly.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't grant your request!" He then said darkly.

"It takes a man to fight back against his enemies.." I said. He then stepped forward and continued, "But it takes a _bigger_ man to forgive his enemies.. I've learned to follow that philosophy. What we do in the past doesn't have to set in stone what happens in the future.. We aren't the same person today, that we were yesterday.." I finished.

Jack looked at him.

"Why should I forgive you? Or your kingdom?" He then continued. "You wanted to allow a murderer get off scot free for murdering an innocent child. You let your wife torture and kill me. You betrayed me on the words of someone you just _met_. You took my entire nation, everything I worked for, away from me. You destroyed an innocent nation to the point that all that remains of them is a smoking ruin. You signed an agreement with Palpatine."

Then he turned to C.G. "And you left me out to dry! I trusted you! I _loved_ you more than _life itself_! And now you're here begging for forgiveness?! And you, Caesarius, you just _let_ that war criminal destroy the Republic without more than token protest!"

He then stepped forward. "You will _never_ be my brother." He said venomously. And then he turned to C.G. "And _you_ will never be forgiven."

With that, he began to walk off.

"DUDE SHUT THE FUCK UP AND GIVE ME BACK MY FUCKING LIGHTER!" The new guy yelled.

Jack looked to the new guy. "Not now!" He yelled back.

He then turned back to me.

"I _trusted_ you even _after_ your wife freaking murdered me! Why should I trust you now?!" I shook my head.

"You shouldn't.. I have no real evidence to back up my claims. I came here with _no_ backup out of blind faith to hopefully prove that what I say is true. I don't expect you to believe me, but we all wish you would." I looked at Kylie, Simba, Nala, and everybody. "No matter what, no matter how much you all may hate me.. I will always love you.. That is a promise.."

Jack looked at us, his expression thoughtful for the first time.

In fact, _everyone_ looked at us with conflicted expressions.

C.G, for the first time, looked hopeful, she took a step forward.

Jack looked at her, before taking a step forward, and pulling her into a hug.

For the first time, I could see Jack crying. Not just crying, but retching.

"Jack, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry..." C.G sobbed.

The new guy gave a slight sift smile at the scene.

Apollo walked forward, and punched me with as much force as he could. "What you did was unforgivable to me and my people, but I won't abandon this opportunity for peace. But if you cross me or my people or my Emperor again, then you'll pay. _Don't_ break our trust again." I saw blood drip down from my nose.

I trembled in anger and seethed in rage, balling my fist up. However, I then took a deep breath before I did anything rash. I _wasn't_ gonna escalate the conflict like I _would've_ done before..

"WOAH WOAH WOAH GUYS GUYS CALM DOWN!" The stranger screamed.

"Let's just talk this shit out instead of resorting to violence the new guy said calmly.

"I promise you.." I began. "We ain't crossing shit. So long as the same goes for us."

Jack looked at us. He walked forward, and said to me.

"I will forgive _her_. But I cannot let this go immediately. Just...leave us alone for a while. I don't want to see either of you in my territory."

He then added. "Once, I called you brother. But I don't think I can ever trust you again."

He said that in a really pained way. "My one condition. Let anyone who wants to move to my empire return. In exchange, I'll accept a peace treaty." I sighed but then nodded.

"Do what you must.. Whoever wants to make the switch, will get that chance." I said.

Jack nodded. "And C.G will bring Alexander and Jane here. People will have a year, or one hundred days to make the switch. But they must come in unarmed ships, and after that one hundred days is up, they must get _my_ permission to enter this dimension. If they don't, military or civilian, they'll be destroyed."

You couldn't _imagine_ how much I wasn't liking this! No, not one fucking bit! But if it meant that peace could happen, then you had to make sacrifices. I nodded.

"Done.." I agreed.

He nodded curtly. He then turned to C.G. She nodded, and returned to the ship.

Jack then sighed. "This entire dimension is off limits to New Edenia. Understood?" I sighed as well, eager to get this over with as quick as possible. I could feel tension rising.

"Yes, 'your majesty'.." I emphasized, as I began to head back towards the ship, done being in this place.

Caesarius looked between Jack and me, seemingly conflicted. Finally, he sighed, and followed after me,

"Jack!" the new guy exclaimed "Give me back my lighter now!" Jack sighed, and threw the lighter at him. It hit him square in the face, knocking him to the ground.

"Ahhhh fuck good, one." he lit the lighter and began to smoke.

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 **Drew's POV**

As we returned to the ship, I turned to C.G, and asked her,

"So what're you gonna do?" I questioned, wanting confirmation before saying what was on my mind.

"I'm going to get my kids, and I'm going to come back here." I sighed and shook my head.

"I really wish you wouldn't do that.." I muttered.

She turned, and faced me. "Why?" I looked her in the eye and told her,

"I'm worried about what might happen to you and those kids.. They might not be my kids, but I still don't want anything to happen to them.. _Or_ you! You're all family in my eyes."

She blinked. "Drew, I appreciate the concern, but I am _done_ with all this drama. I just want to live with my children, all four of them, and Jack. I love him, and I always will." I sighed.

"I know.. And I'm not gonna stop you from doing it.." I then faced her once again and continued.

"But how do you think Mufasa and Sarabi feel? How Sarafina feels? The Dilanians practically took those cubs from them.. They still haven't fully recovered since.."

C.G narrowed her eyes. "And what does this have to do with me and my family?"

"It means I'm not gonna do such a thing with Jane and Alexander from you.. But if they were to commit an act such as that, who knows what _else_ they might do next?.. I just don't want anyone getting hurt.. Not again.."

C.G sighed. "Drew, I understand. But whatever monster you think Jack's become, know that at this point, _we_ created that. You, I, and all of our people threw him to the wolves, and I understand why he's so angry. I'm just glad he was able to forgive me. I love him Drew, as much as you love Jade. I just want to move on from all this fucking bullshit. I want to get off this emotional rollercoaster. I just want peace."

"It-" I stuttered. "It's just fucked up, C.G.! Those cubs have been there for too long! Their minds have been corrupted to think a certain way! That's not _right_.. I'm not saying Mufasa was right either, but this isn't the answer! Those parents are _suffering_! They wonder every goddamn day how their cubs are doing, and they _don't know_! You know who has to hear about it? Me! And it's fucked up that a parent should have to emotionally suffer every day over petty shit like this! Shit that was all in the past!"

"It was their _choice_ Drew. They have grown up under the Dilanian Empire, and its clear that they are loyal to Jack. More loyal than I was when he needed me. Jack is no saint, but what you've done _far_ outweighs what he did." C.G then added.

"I'm surprised Apollo was that kind after what you put his entire nation through on a _hunch_." I looked with a slightly angered expression and asked,

"What, so now I'm the bad guy again? Honestly, give me a goddamn break! Sorry I'm showing concern for my citizens and their mental well being.."

"And Jack was showing concern for his citizens when he sought justice for that girl, and he also showed concern by protecting Simba and Nala. He knew, _knows_ better than any of us how dangerous Chimaera can be. Just..."

She sighed. "Just get us home so I can gather my things."

She then walked off. I shook my head. Even when I was trying to be peaceful, everything was blowing up in my goddamn face! I couldn't win either way! I wonder if the chasm's rocks are still sharp enough..

"I agree with you."

I turned to see Caesarius nearby. "I agree with you about those children. I still don't trust Jack, but I do think we should give him a chance. Like he did with you after he returned..."

"Yeah, you're right.. He gave us that chance, so we should do the same.." I sighed and continued. "He's being _such_ an asshole, Caesarius! He is, Apollo is, C.G. now.. I just can't fucking win, man.."

Caesarius nodded. "We all know how that feels. I honestly never expected Apollo to be that...aggressive...He never was a fighter. C.G is probably too in love to admit that you're right. And Jack..."

He stopped.

"I don't blame him for being angry, but I feel he is going way too far with all those demands. Especially when we hold all the cards." I sat down against the wall and said,

"Can I ask you a question, Caesarius?"

He nodded.

"What would _you_ do? What would you do in this situation? I mean look at me!" I motioned to myself. "I'm just a goddamn kid practically! I'm 19 years old, almost 20! And I'm ruling over a fucking superpower! You know how much stress this puts on me every day!? I swear to God if I didn't have Kenzi, Adia, and Jade in my life, I'd march _right_ back to that chasm and just end it all.."

Caesarius looked at me, before sighing.

"I would do what I had to do to make things better. We've been through all this shit for almost a year now. Honestly, what else can we do but try and make things better? You're a good man Drew. You care about your people, your family, your nation. That's why we joined you. Because you were a good man. You made mistakes, but all of us have. Jack has, Apollo has, _I_ have. But we can only learn from those mistakes." I looked up at him before sighing, and looking back down.

"You're right.. I need to suffer in order to succeed. I may lose my dignity and what little respect for myself I have left, but at least we'll be at peace again.." I sat in silence for a bit before saying.

"It always seems like the best people are the ones that suffer the most.. Jack fucks up all those times since he's been Emperor, and he's Jesus Christ.. _I_ fuck up a few times, and I'm the epitome of evil itself.."

"No. That protest was but a small part of the population. Everywhere I go, you're at least respected, even if they disagree with you. While many disagree with your actions when it came to the Republic, most still respect you. Besides, you didn't fire the guns that killed those people. Zillum was always a monster. We knew who to truly blame."

"Jade was there.." I said. "I don't know how many she murdered, who she murdered.. If any at all.. But she was there.. People will always link her to me, thus it's all my fault apparently.. Jade is a good woman. She's an assassin and will kill anyone who crosses her or those she loves, but she's really a gentle soul.. A soul that has been scarred by the loss of her best friend and those she loved back home." I shook my head. "It's just not fucking fair how cruel people can be.."

Caesarius nodded. "Back when I was a Grand Mandator of the Galactic Empire of Cyrannus, I supervised the destruction of entire civilizations. I've killed entire peoples in the name of Tyromairon. And honestly. I thank you, and Jack, for giving me a second chance. I am more loyal to New Edenia now then I ever was to the Galactic Empire of Cyrannus. And I truly consider you the rightful leader, a very close friend, and one of the few I truly trust." I slightly smiled.

"I feel the same way.. Of all the people I've run into in this fucked up place, you're one of the sanest ones here! You're wise and an exceptional commander. I'm lucky to have you in my nation, and as my friend."

He smiled. "No matter what happens, I'll still follow you, whether war or peace. You're wiser than most, and you have the heart to admit when you're wrong, and to try and improve. That's what separates you from Jack." All I could do was smile and stand back to my feet.

I looked to the side and said with slight sadness,

"Well.. We'll be back soon. I guess it's time to give up C.G. and the kids.."

Caesarius blinked. "You've come to view her as a friend haven't you? Like all of us have." I nodded.

"Yes I have.. I don't give a shit if she was Jack's wife or not: if her and those kids needed a place to stay, I was _damn_ well gonna give it to them! I'll be damned if I let them starve to death or sleep out in the cold.."

Caesarius nodded, before standing up. "Even if many of us dislike or distrust each other, we can all agree that C.G and those kids are kind and caring, even if their father isn't always. I will miss her." I sighed.

"Yeah.. I just worry about them. I hope they'll be alright."

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 **Jack's POV**

I sighed under my breath.

I thought we'd be safe here. I thought that I could avoid the past here. All that talk about taking back what was ours, vengeance, and invasion was just that, talk.

I just wanted peace.

I looked out the window. I had taken some time to rest, but I couldn't sleep. It was still dark out, and the clock read 4:42 AM.

I groaned. _God damn it_.

C.G, Jane and Alexander would be here tomorrow morning…

Honestly, I was ecstatic about that. I loved C.G so much. I just wanted to be able to hold her again.

That's why I was so angry. Not because of Drew, or Caesarius, or the Empire. Because _she_ hated me. She _blamed_ me for what happened, and that destroyed me.

I loved her. So much.

It was weird sleeping alone, when you spent the last few hundred days sleeping beside someone.

I wanted peace. I really did.

But I also didn't trust Drew. Not one bit. Not after what happened. I had given him a chance, to try and mend things, and he goes right back on the word of someone we all _knew_ was a monster and a liar.

Everything I had built. The Empire _I_ built, founded, and did my best to lead hated me. The woman I loved hated me. The closest thing I have to a brother hated me.

That was why I was angry. Because I didn't want to be hurt again.

And because of that anger, I nearly lost any chance at reconciliation.

I hate myself for what I said to her today. She and Drew reacted based on the evidence they had.

It was useless to continue this fucking bullshit. I just wanted peace. For me, and my family.

So Alexander, Jane, Kylie, and Kovu could live in a world where war is a distant memory. So C.G and I could focus on our family.

I didn't even get to see my own kids be born…

I wasn't there when they took their first steps. I wasn't there when they said their first words.

I was just a story C.G told them. A fairytale that I assuredly could never live up to.

I slammed my hand on the wall. "God fucking damn it!" I snarled.

I _was_ a monster. I had let my anger get to me and alienated them _again_. I could have hurt the one I love. I had taken children from their parents. I shot someone I called 'brother' in the leg.

I had failed.

As a leader.

As a brother.

As a father.

As a husband.

I looked back to the window.

"As I said before, this is my chance to rebuild..." I said to no one in particular.

I looked up. "God, if you're up there, please, just let me atone for my sins. Let me make peace."

I never believed in any religion, but at this point, I just wanted to make things better.

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The shuttle descended. The first to arrive.

I held my breath as Kovu and Kylie stood by my side.

I noticed Kylie seemed distracted.

"What is it?" I asked.

"I said C.G wasn't my mother… After all those months..." Kylie whimpered.

I sighed. "We can only move forward. We're still a family."

Kovu nodded. "Simba and Nala miss their parents. I miss Adia..."

He sighed. "Dad...can we please just...make peace. True peace?"

I stopped. After all that had been done…

After all _I_ had done.

Was it really possible?

I felt a small spark of hope.

Drew was right. Peace was necessary. _True_ peace.

I held my lightsaber, and looked at it as the shuttle landed. A weapon. A symbol of war and suffering.

C.G, Jane, and Alexander walked out, followed by Drew and Caesarius.

C.G rushed forward, and we embraced. For the first time in so long, I felt bliss. Pure, unadulterated bliss. I loved her. I truly did. With every fiber of my being.

We finally pulled apart.

"...Mom?"

C.G blinked, before turning to Kylie. Kylie smiled, before beginning to cry. She then hugged C.G, who returned the hug. "I'm so sorry..."

I then turned to my two biological children. Jane looked excited, but Alexander seemed a little nervous. They had only seen me a little bit, but still.

Jane then rushed forward, and hugged me. "Hi daddy..." She said joyfully.

I smiled, and pulled her close.

Alexander followed. "Dad?" He asked.

"Yes son?"

He looked like he was about say something, before he simply hugged me.

I was stunned by this display, but I felt my joy grow.

Finally, I stood back up, and looked at Drew.

I removed my lightsaber from my belt. And I tossed it to the ground.

"I'm so sorry..." I finally choked out. "For everything. For the hunting incident. For all the fights. For _shooting_ you. For spurning your attempts at peace. For blaming you for everything. I'm sorry. Forget what I said yesterday."

I then held out my hand. "I am changing my terms. Open borders for our citizens. They can come and go as they please. A military alliance. A common front against Palpatine's tyranny, and the right of _both_ of us to colonize territory in Chimaera and Coru Dilanicus, if you choose. And..." I stopped.

"The right for Simba and Nala to see their parents. For Kovu to see his sister." Drew had to slightly grin at that.

"Well, I'm sure Mufasa, Sarabi, and Sarafina would love that very much.. They tell me everyday how much they miss them." Drew shook his head, and then asked. "Why the change of heart?"

I sighed, and looked down. "Because I am sick of all this. I just want peace. True peace. Not a treaty. Not an armistice. A true, lasting peace. I want us to be brothers again. I want to be able to laugh and joke with you like we used to. I want us to be able to fight against all enemies as friends and equals. I miss my niece. I miss Kenzi. I miss you. Hell, even Jade, for some reason."

I looked up. "I want us to stand together again. Maybe not as one nation, but united nonetheless. As _equals_. Not with me leading everything. But with everyone helping each other. I want us to be able to take on Palpatine together, and free our brothers in Galaxia. I want us to be able to explore new worlds together. To..."

I held out my hand. "I want more than peace. I want _hope_." Drew looked at my hand for a few seconds, before shaking it in agreement. Though I could see in his expression and in the way he spoke that he was perturbed by _something_..

I blinked. "Thank you, brother." He didn't make eye contact, but merely nodded and got out,

"No problem.."

However, I could tell something was bothering him...


	20. Chapter 20, One Nation

**Drew's POV**

I stepped off of the ship and back on New Edenian soil. However, right away everyone that saw me immediately saw: I was _not_ happy.. No, not one bit..

This whole fucking situation baffles me beyond belief! Just yesterday, Jack wishes ill intent on us and had all of these demands, and now today he's acting all nice and just drops everything!? What the actual fuck!

I wasn't complaining of course, but just what the hell.. Needless to say, I was _suspicious_ as can be. There _has_ to be a bigger, unseen reason why he's doing this, right?

I opened the front door to my house and was immediately greeted by my family, Kenzi, Adia, Jade.

"Dad, you're back!" Adia excitedly said. I grinned slightly. I could remember when she was just a cub, and now look at her! She's a full grown lioness! Time fucking flies.. I hugged Adia.

"Hey, Adia.." I said back. "You been keeping Kenzi in line while I was gone?" I joked with a smirk. Kenzi lightly punched me in the arm with a smirk of her own.

"Oh shut up." Kenzi pulled me in for a hug as well. Jade now walked up to me and said,

"Hello, beloved.." We both gave each other a quick kiss. "How did things go down there? Pretty smooth? Or were there complications?" I sighed and shook my head.

"I just don't understand the son of a bitch, guys.." I looked at them all and continued. "I mean, just yesterday he was riding our ass with all these demands and he spat at us like we were nothing.. _Now_ all of a sudden, he's apparently dropping all the demands and is acting all good and kind to us!" All three of them cocked a brow.

"Why would he do that?" Kenzi asked in confusion. I shrugged with a defeated chuckle and replied,

"That's the thing, Kenzi.. I have no fucking idea." I shook my head once more. "And now C.G. is over there with the kids.." The three of them gasped.

"What!?" Kenzi asked in shock.

"I didn't know about that.." Jade said.

"Me neither." Adia added.

"Yeah, I know. I'm sorry you guys.." I apologized. "I forgot to tell you. There's just been _way_ too much shit on my plate lately.. I'll be sure and let you all know when something happens. It's not easy being screwed up in the mind and doing something stupid, then try and make up for it.. People see what you did in the _past_ instead of what you're trying to do in the present.." I shook my head.

"It's so stressful.." I finished with evident exhaustion. Jade walked closer to me and said,

"I know how you feel.. Kitana once said the same to me. Her role as Princess of Edenia was no simple task.. Queen Sindel probably had it worse than her.. Hell, even my role as protector of Edenia wasn't always easy. Being in a position of power, especially one where you're in control and leadership of an entire nation, it just starts to get to you after awhile." I nodded my head. Amen to _that_..

"But.." Jade continued. "If you make all the right decisions, and if you make sure your people and your nation are taken care of, then you've already succeeded." She shook her head and finished, "It matters not what all you did in the past as people seem to believe.. For your actions in the present, is all that matters.."

I looked up a bit. She was _right_! No matter how stressful things get, I'm still gonna make sure _all_ of my people are protected and taken care of no matter what! That even goes for C.G. and the kids! If shit happens again down there, and they're unsafe, I'll personally fly down there myself to make sure they're alright and taken care of.

"You're right, Jade.." I replied with a slight grin. "It's time for change.. And with God as my witness, I'm gonna _give_ it to 'em! New Edenia from this point forward, will be a nation of prosperity, with a King that actually makes _sensible_ decisions for his _peoples'_ sake rather than his own.." I smiled seductively at Jade and added, "And pretty soon a Queen as well.."

Jade gave a seductive smile of her own in return. I couldn't wait until our wedding ceremony! It wasn't too far away actually; just a week away!

Anyways, I'm just gonna decide to not push this C.G. issue any further. I didn't wanna escalate any conflict.. Did I trust Jack? Hell no! Would I work with Jack in the future to maintain peace? Yes. Will I be keeping an eye on him? You bet your ass I am!

For now, though, I just wanted to get some rest and spend some time with my family. You don't get much of _this_ do you?.. I'm just gonna enjoy every last moment of it..That is, until more inevitable bullshit happens..

 **Jack's POV**

I walked into my room. However, I had forgotten about the simple fact that I now shared it with someone else.

C.G had been changing, and immediately covered up in surprise as the door opened.

I stopped, and said nervously. "Sorry."

She grinned a bit. "For what? It's nothing you haven't seen before."

I rolled my eyes. "You're right."

I then walked over, and kissed her. "I'm so glad you're back."

She smiled. "As am I."

After changing into my pajamas, I laid down on the bed. C.G leaned on my shoulder.

I smiled a bit. This was one of the things I missed most when I had left. I just loved these moments.

"I love you." I said.

"I love you too." She replied.

She shifted slightly, and looked at me.

"You know, we haven't celebrated..."

I blinked, before grinning…

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 **Drew's POV**

I was sitting down in my living room in a recliner chair I thought was pretty cool.. King or not, I didn't care much for the big, fancy living arrangements or anything.. I was more of a simple man.

I didn't have a whole lot growing up, and I was poor for most of my childhood. So if there's one thing I wasn't, it was greedy.. I know what it was like to live in poverty.. It fucking sucked!

That's actually what I'm currently trying to work on for New Edenia next. The replicator that we got ahold of was fucking up for whatever goddamn reason, so we didn't have enough time to build enough homes for all of our citizens.. So now we were gonna have to build everything manually and by hand for awhile.. Those unfortunate enough to be among the homeless, were living in a horrible state of poverty.. I'll be damned if I allow Jack and his bullshit to distract me from the more important things at hand!

It was time to take care of my citizens.. I would definitely have a busy time ahead of me! Then all of a sudden, the silence was broken by someone outside.

"Drew?"

It sounded like Caesarius, and he didn't sound very happy. I sighed. Of _course_ he didn't.. What could it possibly be now!? I got up out of my chair and opened the front door, confirming it to be Caesarius.

"What's up, Caesarius? Everything okay?" I asked with a cocked brow. I don't even know why I bothered to ask. It clearly wasn't..

"We have a problem." The Libertus officer sighed. "Some of our northern cities, like New Orbispira are seeing protests by groups that want what used to be Dilania to secede and join their Emperor in his new territory." I perked up in anger almost immediately.

"For _what_!?" I questioned in annoyance. "I have done _nothing_ except what I was supposed to! What the fuck!"

Caesarius nodded. "They're nationalists by the looks of it. They want to join Jack _en masse_ , though it seems they're a small, but still significant minority." I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose.

"Jesus Christ.." I muttered. "When will it ever end?.. When I'm dead?"

Caesarius sighed. "As I said before, perhaps we should make it clear to his 'majesty' that he was allowed peace only because _we_ allowed it? To make it clear to him that any attempt to sow chaos in our territory will be met with appropriate force?"

"They're free to leave at anytime they want. That was part of the deal.." I said. "But that gives Jack _no_ right to take New Edenia's land! We're still currently the biggest superpower in Chimaera! I won't start any bullshit with our military like he would, but I _will_ make it clear to him that he's out of line!" I then finished. "I almost _guarantee_ you he's the one behind this! Can I prove it? No. Do I have my suspicions? Yes, and for _good_ reason!"

Caesarius nodded. "The bastard will pay if he tries this bullshit again. Hell, he should pay _now_."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Jack!" I called out over the communicator screen used for speaking with officials from other nations. It was time to resolve this issue..

To my surprise, Apollo and Kennedy appeared on the other end, instead of Jack. "What is it Drew?" Kennedy asked. He seemed to have no legitimate idea why I was calling. He was clearly confused, though Apollo looked more angry at my call.

"Yes, what is your accusation today?" He asked. I gave an evidently annoyed expression and sarcastically stated,

"Calm down, Smartass.. Sarcasm is my thing. I just wanted to speak with Jack. It's about something pretty major.."

"And what is that?"

Jack walked into view. He seemed annoyed as well. "What is the big deal? All of us are just trying to rebuild out here. Why this sudden call, especially after I gave you peace on a silver platter?" I rolled my eyes and muttered,

"Yes, I'm sure you _are_ trying to rebuild…" I then turned back to him and said aloud, "I'd rather talk about this in person. No military, nobody else with you or me. Just a one on one, man to man conversation.."

Jack blinked. "Why? Surely whatever issue can be solved by a discussion on here. I have more important things to do at this point." I said a bit louder, getting more annoyed,

"I do _too_!" I stood up and pointed outside. "I have citizens down here living in poverty! I _know_ what that's like. I've told you that before! Believe me, I'd _much_ rather be dealing with that than this! And no, this can't simply be resolved over this screen.. If you show _any_ sort of respect whatsoever, you'd allow me to meet you face to face!"

Jack sighed. "Fine. Meet me at these coordinates, no tricks, which seems to run in your family at this point." I narrowed my eyes, but didn't say anything. Instead I disconnected and got the coordinates.

It was time to deal with this shit once and for all!

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Alright, what?" Jack asked as we met in a small canyon a little ways north of New Orbispira. I didn't respond right away, instead dropping my rifle on the ground and kicking it away from me.

"Just so we're on the same page.." I said, my expression still evidently upset. I did this to show that no aggression or tricks were going to take place.

Jack looked at me for a minute, before throwing his lightsaber to the side. "Alright, I get it. Now, what is the big fucking deal?"

"Shut it.." I coldly cut him off. "What was all that yesterday? Why the sudden change of heart? What are you trying to pull anyways?.."

"I got a wake up call. I was sick of all this bullshit and just wanted to move on. But now I worry that you don't want to, and that Dilania and New Edenia will always be at each other's throats?"

"I want peace! That's all I give a shit about!" I grew even more angry. "But that kinda makes it pretty fucking hard when you pull shit like you've done today! I'll be _damned_ if I let that happen!"

Jack narrowed his eyes. "Oh, and what did I pull today?" He asked. I coldly chuckled.

"Oh, you know what you did.. You're trying to take New Edenia's fucking land! You've gotten some of my people to form a revolt, when I have done _nothing_ but take care of my kingdom like I was supposed to! They're wanting to secede _en masse_ and become a part of Dilania, and take the land with them! _That's_ why I'm so pissed! This will _not_ stand!"

Jack froze. "I did _nothing_." He said coldly. "Neither I, nor my people have attempted any such acts of sabotage. We are _trying_ to maintain peace! Why would I risk that when you still hold a huge advantage in military terms? _Especially_ when I have to worry about my family." I shook my head.

"That's a good question.." It really was. Why _would_ he do this?.. Probably to regain his status of being the Emperor of a super power! But then again, he would _know_ that the repercussions would he high.. I sighed and I added, "I truly don't know.."

Jack nodded. "You know, you've been blaming all your problems on me since the hunting incident. I know I caused many of them, but I didn't incite any protests this time. Maybe check your own record as leader, and you'd see why a few don't want to be ruled by you." I put on an angered expression and countered,

"Ohh, that's nice.. Look who the fuck's talking! Take a look in the mirror once in awhile!"

"I didn't commit _genocide_!" Jack replied. "I didn't _murder_ 20,000 civilians. I didn't allow my girlfriend to torture and kill someone in a brutal way. I didn't make a deal with the devil himself. I am no saint, but neither are you. At least I have the courage to admit when I'm wrong, unlike you, who was so obsessed with getting revenge or protecting one person that you risked your entire nation on it."

He then turned. "So get off your high horse. I was sincere in my peace offer, and yet the first time you face a problem, or people disagreeing with you, you automatically blame me. As you always do."

He then began to walk off.

"You're right.." I said abruptly.

He stopped, and turned. He seemed stunned that I would say that. I shook my head and continued,

"All I am is a goddamn monster anyways.. I'm responsible for those peoples' murder. I made a deal with Palpatine. I believed Zillum without so much as a second thought. I'm to blame for it all.." I stepped closer and said more. "All that time Brandon abused me and my family, my anger and hatred only grew for the world.. I didn't want to live in such a place.. I act rashly and am angry all the time _because_ of those reasons.." I shook my head.

"But that's no excuse.." I said. "I've been that way all my life.. The only thing keeping me remotely sane is Jade, Kenzi, and Adia.. Without them, I would have nothing to lose.. I expect the entirety of this dimension and the next to rejoice when I finally die.." I then chuckled. "Hell, even I'll probably celebrate that day.."

Jack looked at me. "That's your problem,"

He then continued. "The past does hurt. It always will. But you can't let it control you. That's _why_ I'm trying to offer peace."

"I only offer peace because I want what's best for my people and my family.. For _everyone_ I love, _including_ the ones on your side!" I stated. I shook my head and added, "Nothing else matters to me.. _I_ don't matter.. I could care _less_ what happens to me. But as long as they're protected, then at least I've succeeded somewhere.."

"Drew, the fact that you say that _proves_ you're not a monster. But I'm going to be honest. If you're going to lead a nation, especially a strong one, you _need_ to think with your head, not your fists. This belligerent attitude will not always work, and there are _far_ worse people than me out there. Palpatine would just continue until you were destroyed if the Battle of the North Ridge was between his empire and New Edenia. Remember this, that I want peace, but I will only work towards it if you are to do so as well. Great warriors build armies, but great leaders build kingdoms. You need to be able to be both." I shook my head and said with a lack of confidence and depression,

"I am _no_ warrior… And I am no leader.." I sighed and sat down on the ground. "I don't know what the fuck I'm doing, Jack.. I didn't _want_ to be a leader in _anything_! Hell, you remember how hesitant I was when you offered me those high ranking positions in the Imperial Navy. I just wanted something small; I wanted to be a _Private_. That's it! But somehow life has handed me this position as a King of a goddamn superpower.." With tears in my eyes, I faced Jack and finished,

"Do you think that's what I _want_!? Do you think I _wanted_ all of this shit!? I'd rather just fucking be _dead_! Jade should've _left_ me in that chasm to rot.. I deserve nothing life has given me.."

Jack looked at me. "Then why not dissolve your monarchy, and create a democracy, elect someone, and serve as a general or advisor or soldier? Why do you insist on continuing if you are so sick of this?" I stood up, now with a serious expression.

"Because it's what I was destined to do.." I replied. "You can't just _choose_ what fate you want. It's _given_ to you in advance!" I faced Jack and explained,

"I spoke with my parents when I almost died.. They told me it wasn't my time yet and that my destiny awaited me back here. You know why Jade saved me? Because it was _fate_ at work! She _loves_ me, and I love her, because it is _meant_ to happen.. I cannot kill myself or be killed yet, because that's just not what I'm supposed to achieve.." I then continued after a bit of silence,

"If I am meant to be King of New Edenia, then I am meant to be King.. It would be selfish of me to end my life just because of my problems anyways.. What would my family do? I couldn't just leave them like that.. No matter how much I desire it, I would never do it again.. They'll _never_ be abandoned ever again.. This is all happening for a reason.. What that reason is, I truly don't know yet.."

"Your destiny may be something, but the future is _transient_. You don't _have_ to lead New Edenia. You may defend it, but in the end, your destiny is in _your_ hands. Have you ever considered that _maybe_ you might not be meant to be king, but a general or soldier?" I stopped. After some thought, I replied,

"You are right.." I looked him in the eye and continued, "Perhaps I control my own future, though my ultimate goal is already set in stone.." I shook my head. "I can't lead this nation anymore.. I just _can't_! There's too much blood on my hands, and there will _always_ be problems.."

"Then what do you want to do?" Jack asked. I sighed, and then with a smile replied,

"I think it's time Dilania is reunited again.." After a bit, I added, "As _one_.."

Jack froze. He looked at me, as if thunderstruck. His face conveyed all these different emotions at once. Shock, fear, joy, nervousness…

He then smiled. "Then I will not rule alone. I want the council to have more power this time. And I want you to help me with that. But on two conditions, you make ample time for your family, and that we approve a bill of rights for all our people, to be obeyed to the letter. I will not let what happened last time occur again." I nodded.

"Agreed.. Though I have a couple conditions of my own as well.."

He nodded. "Go ahead."

"Firstly, I want there to be _no_ prejudice towards anyone who once revolted.. They don't deserve anything but a peaceful and stable life."

He nodded. "Done. There will be laws put in place protecting _everyone_ , whether New Edenian or Dilanian." I nodded.

"Good.. I just have one other condition."

He nodded. I shook my head.

"I will help you form Dilania as one again," I began. "but I won't be apart of it for long.. For I have something in mind that I've wanted to do for a long while now.."

Jack seemed saddened by that, but nodded for me to continue.

"I want my family to come along too, if they're willing.. I'll leave it up to them. But… What I've wanted to do is-" I cut myself off, feeling hesitant.

"What?" Jack asked. I sighed and began,

"I'm well aware that Kratos split _long_ ago, and has formed his own 'New Sparta'.." I then continued on. "I want to seek an audience with Kratos and ask him if I can be among his Army and nation.."

Jack blinked. He looked down, deep in thought.

He looked to the side, avoiding eye contact. For a few seconds he stood there, silent.

"Very well..." He choked out.

"I will miss you brother. But please, just stay a few days to help us transition. It needs to be smooth and peaceful. And...you're always welcome in Dilania."

He then extended his hand. "And I will _always_ consider you my brother, wherever you are." I smiled.

"I will remember that always… _brother_." I extended my hand, awaiting him to shake it.

We shook hands, and I swear, Jack seemed to still be in shock.

"Thank you..." He said.

 **No P.O.V**

During the time they had been on hyperspace Rexy had taken the time to known about Alad V,Darvo,Clem and the Lotus.

Turns out the Lotus wasn't human but instead evolved from terraforming drones with her kind and were originally sent to the Tet that the trip back to the origin Galaxy made them sterile,but they changed and gained sentience thus naming themselves the "Sentients".

Anyways as soon as they had returned they began to wage war on the Orokin Empire. The Orokin who were the humans ruling back then made the "Infestation" to counter them...but their plan backfired and they then ended having to fight both. Soon the Sentients were nearly wiped out by the Tenno..while the orokin went extinct.

The Lotus then told then all about how she wanted children of her own...and took the Tenno as her childs. Alad told the story of the Corpus and his involvement in it...and Darvo told about how he met Clem and became a trader.

Rexy then told them the history of his Galaxy. Of the Old Republic..the arise of the Galatic Republic...the start of the Clone wars...how Palpatine had controlled both sides...Order 66...the death of many Jedi...the disbanding of the Republic...how he deserted and how the Galactic Civil war began.

"Amazing….so all the major events in your galaxy have happened because of the conflict between Sith and Jedi" The Lotus commented to which Rexy was about to comment "Yeah pretty muc"- VRRRRRROOOOOOM!

The fleets came out of hyperspace as Rexy saw distant planets...but way closer to his fleet he saw a weird object that said "Universal Replicator" as Rexy just blinked then smiled.

The Lotus was allowed to make her planet first which she did,making a japan style planet with towers and buildings of Orokin style...very luxurious and beautiful. She would now reside there with the tenno. She had chosen the name to be Gara Unum...in honor to the daughters she lost due to the Earth Sentient.

Alad V made a large planet well packed of raw materials and resources and full of Corpus shipyards and facilities and defenses,then made more planets that resembled those in the normal galaxy,to provide resources, and finally a accumunopolis for the soon to arrive additional Corpus fleets. This planet would also be his residence. He named it Corprania

Then it was Rexys turn...he smiled as he made a exact copy of Kamino. He named it Kortal. There the rebel kaminoans could begin creation of clones. Next up was to make 2 huge city planets..one was for military training and use only,it had huge shipyards,Equipment facilities and droid named it Falco Maximus in honor of the deceased city back in Chimaera.

Then for the great celebration he made a city planet with defenses to house the civilian populace and government named Comeria….

And Finally a planet made of several biomes to house the wildlife. Which he named Eden…

It was now that their attention was driven to the other planets in the system...especially the one that resembled Kashyyyk. As the fleet converged above the planet, a single Venator, 2 Acclamators,4 arquitens and a Orbiter with 8 tenno ships descended alongside 8 Corpus Falcon class Dropships.

 **Unknown P.O.V**

We watched as the large ships made their way into the the planet and landed on a large clearing as a fellow Navi said "Sully..the sky people are back!"

Upon closer inspection of the ships they seemed far too advanced to be from Earth as I said "These are someone else….C'mon Neytiri...Sah'Nuk you come and bring warriors ".

The mentioned Navi warrior began to yip like a wild animal as more Navi came ….we then jumped off the cliff as our Banshees flew under us. As we fell on them and began to fly many more Navi were riding Direhorses and heading to were the sky people had landed.

 **Rexys P.O.V**

As me and my men and droids got off the ships...we realized we had landed in a old runway, flanked by foliage covered hangars full of rotor wing aircrafts and vehicles….as I grinned and said "Who ever gets his men to get as much intel and vehicles as possible to here...gets a promotion"

Clones and Droids began to rush and run here and there...bringing transports and gunships along with strange mech suits and datapads full of intel. Then someone said "SIR! LOOK!"

As I looked above I saw strange flying creatures diving upon us….begin ridden by humanoid figures making warcry noises as strange legged creatures began to run out of the woods and surround the clearing…as a large orange colored creature landed in front of me as a blue colored humanoid alien creature looked at me and aimed a bow at me. "What are you doing in Pandora?!"

My men and droids pulled out their weapons as our walkers got into position as I said "Steady men! Hold your fire! My name is Rexy….Grand Admiral,leader of the Grand Army of the Republic, We are here to explore...i take it you are the leader here"

"My name is Jake Sully...this is my mate Neytiri,we are the leaders of the Navi of Pandora, why have you come here...first those planets appear now you do" He looked in high alert..seems the past humans werent that friendly. I just smiled

"Oh we made those planets"

The natives looked at me in shock and disbelief as Jake said "Bullshit…"

"Only Eywa can create!"

"The sky people are trying to be looked upon as Gods!"

"SILENCE SONS OF EYWA!" a voice declared

The natives began to bow to a woman that was passing by them dressed as a shaman as Jake bowed to her "Mo'at"

"Eywa has spoken to me! The sky people say the true! They have come to help Pandora from a lurking enemy! Ewya says that all of Pandora….from the smallest insect to the great Angtsìks are on their side!"

I looked confused suddenly various animals came out of the forest as huge flying creatures arrived as well all bowing to us as the natives also began to bow to us as Mo'at said "Jake...we must take them to the village and welcome them"

Jake then nodded as he bowed and said "In the name of Pandora and the Na'vi and by Eywas will . We welcome you Sky People please come with us"

I just nooded and said "Lotus...have some of your tenno stay to guard the ships...half of my droids will stay here as well with some troopers...the others with me!"


	21. Chapter 21, Growing Pains

Drew's POV

The ramp lowered as Jack and I exited the shuttle. Quite frankly, I was nervous as all hell! How would everyone react!? We had worked so hard to be independent, and here I was proposing we take it back! Sure, reunification would be a good thing, and Jack claims things'll be different, but people love to overreact and do crazy shit!

If I'm being honest, I'm surprised of my actions too! Here I was one minute blaming Jack for everything, and now we're brothers again! My mental state and well being is absolutely fucked up right now! My emotions are driving my actions t this point! I need to get that in check somehow. Maybe marriage and expanding my family would make things better..

Oh shit!

What would Jade think of all this!? Would she be pissed at me!? What about Adia and Kenzi!? That would definitely be fun..

But for now, there were bigger fish to fry! Things were changing.. But for better or for worse, I truly don't know yet..

I could see pretty much everyone in Jack's group there. C.G, the kids, Apollo, Carandial, Kennedy, Tyromairon, Anakin. They were all there. I took a deep breath and then sighed.

'Here goes nothing..' I thought as Jack and I approached them.

Jack stopped. "Everyone, we have an announcement to make..." He began, seemingly as nervous as I was.

I noticed everyone seemed a little puzzled. I could tell why. We had been enemies for so long, and now Jack said 'we'.

He was about to say something, before looking to me. I could see it on his face. He wanted permission to actually say it. Out of respect, out of concern, out of… whatever… I nodded, confirming that he could continue.

He turned back. "We have come to an agreement. Dilania and New Edenia are reuniting." He said that last part simply. It seemed like he couldn't think of any other way to say it.

For a second, it looked like the entire world froze. The looks on everyone's faces was one of utter shock.

Carandial was the first to speak, looking to me, then to Jack. "How..." He asked, seemingly at a loss.

Jack sighed, and turned to me. "Like I said, we came to an agreement, for the good of our people." Before anyone could reply, I cut in,

"I never wanted to be King.." Everyone's attention was now on me. "I never wanted any of this bullshit to happen! This all started because I stood up for what I believed was right, and you all did the same! The problem was that we dealt with it wrong. Both sides! And we blew it out of proportion.." I paused as everyone looked at me, their gaze locked on me.

"Parents were separated from their kids.. Countless innocent people died.. Me and Jack both about died.." I shook my head. "It's just terrible.. I don't even wanna live anymore.. That's how bad it's gotten! But you know what? My family keeps me sane! The way things were before: the movie nights, us working together as one, and just us having a good time! That kept me sane as well.." I waited a bit before finishing,

"Hate me if you want.. Even I hate myself, and I probably always will.. I've done horrible things that only a monster would do. But that doesn't mean I'm not sincere.. I want things to change! I want the violence between us to stop! Enough fighting has happened, enough families have been torn apart, and enough blood has been shed! It's time to come together as one.. It's time."

Everyone looked to each other, seemingly too stunned to answer.

Jack turned to me. "I would like to say one thing though."

"Drew, I know what you said before, about Kratos, but...I would like it if you and your family could stay in Dilania. You, every one of you, are welcome in our empire. I consider you my brother, and I will respect your decision, but you're my oldest friend here, and I just want things to return to how they were before..." He stopped.

"Please, just...it wouldn't be the same without you. Whatever you want or need, I will support it, I just want us to be one nation again. One family again." I sighed.

"Things will never be the same.." I softly said. "Everyone hates me.. I wouldn't be surprised if I were assassinated my first week back there. It would be suicide." I then chuckled. "Pretty ironic, if you think about it.."

"No." I turned to see Apollo approach. He looked down. "You are loved and supported by your people, just as Jack is. You forget how the vast majority of our people didn't protest or want to secede. They joined your nation without a second thought. Even after what happened..." Apollo looked away.

"I can't forgive you for giving that order, but I am willing to move on. To try and make amends."

"As am I."

I turned back to Jack. "If anyone tried to hurt you or your family, I would make sure they were brought to justice. Every nation has its share of people who disagree with, even hate the leader, but I know that New Edenia supported you, and most likely always will." He declared.

"I won't stop you, but I want you and your family to remain. Things may not ever be the same, but perhaps, they can be better. We need you here." I stood in silence for a few seconds.

"We will make the announcement. We'll combine both our land as one and deal with however our citizens react. We'll set up a stable government and way of life. Then we'll go from there.." I said, basically saying I would see how things went first.

Jack nodded in understanding. "Very well."

He turned to the others. "Let's go home. All of us."

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Now the fun could truly begin! Me and Jack had just landed outside New Colossus. We were on New Edenian territory now! As we walked into the city towards the heart of town, the citizens gasped in shock at the sight of Jack.

"What's he doing here!?"

"Is that, Jack!?"

"Why is the King with that traitor!?"

Those are some of the things I heard among the murmurs of the citizens. Just as we reached the heart of town, my family rushed towards me. Jade had her staff in hand, ready to kill.

"What is he doing in our capital!?" She asked with angered confusion. I put my hand on the staff and tried to lower it as I replied,

"Woah, woah Jade! It's okay.. I'll explain everything in a bit." Jade gave a glare towards Jack, before looking back at me and lowering her staff.

"Very well.. But I must say I'm confused." Adia cocked a brow and asked,

"What's Uncle Jack doing here, Dad? I thought you hated him." I sighed.

"I did.. But, well- I'm going to make an announcement here in just a second.. You'll see."

"I hope you know what you're doing, Drew.." Kenzi told me with concern. "You haven't been thinking straight since the incident at the chasm. I just worry about you.." I smiled and out a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"I'm fine, Sis.." I said. "I promise."

I noticed Jack looked nervous, looking around at the very mixed reactions of both the crowd and my family. It was understandable, considering he was in the heart of what was, until recently, an enemy capital.

Finally, he sighed. "I am not here to fight. Drew and I have come to an agreement, for the good of our people." Everyone stood silent for a moment, before murmuring among each other, curious as to what that was.

"What agreement!?" A random citizen asked aloud. Everyone voiced their agreement. I sighed and began to speak to everyone.

"Jack and I were having a discussion about the recent protests that have been happening in our capital. I thought he was the one behind it all, but…" I looked at Jack and sighed. "I was wrong.. I falsely accused him because they were our 'enemies'.. It made me realize a lot of things.. Like how this type of bullshit only leads to more conflict!" Most everyone shrugged, and chanted in agreement.

"I also realized that I don't want to be in a high ranking position of power! I'm too young.. I'm too fucked up mentally right now! I don't want to be King!" Everyone gasped in shock.

"What!?" A lot of people simultaneously said. My family looked on with stunned expressions, like they didn't know what to think.

"Yes, it's true.." I said with a sigh. "The time has come for all of us to heal and to recover! And it will never happen if we continue to live apart like this! And especially if I'm King!" Silence reigned.

"Which is why.." I began, looking at Jack, then to my family. "Jack and I have both decided that both of our nations are gonna reunite as one again.. So that we can unite, and so that the conflict can end! So that we can work together!" Everyone gasped. They had very mixed responses. Some were outraged, but others seemed to be interested in the idea. Though I think the majority leaned towards giving the idea a chance, which was good..

To my surprise, my family was smiling, minus Jade. I couldn't really see her expression because she had her mask on. She didn't look pissed though, so that was a good sign! Right?...

"I… was hoping the reunification process could begin today. The sooner the better is what they say." I nervously chuckled. I turned to Jack and asked,

"Would you like to say anything?"

Jack looked to my family, and to the citizens, before nodding.

"Yes." He said. He turned to the crowd.

"I know our history has been rough. I know my past has been checkered. I know you probably all hate me, but I will say this. This agreement is the best chance we all have. And I will not accept the throne," he paused, looking to me.

"Unless the power of the Emperor is heavily reduced. The Emperor shall have the power to enforce laws and treaties, to command the military, convene a council that will rule the empire in his or her name, and appoint officials that will require the confirmation of the Council." He then added.

"And I feel that every member of the council should be elected, as should a president to oversee it. The real power should remain in the council, not with a hereditary monarch."

He turned to me. "And I promise that with every fiber of my being, whatever happens, that I shall defend our nation, its people, and its liberty from this day until my last. We can't be enemies any longer, and I want us to stand as one. Just as King Drew does." I gave a smile and nodded.

"I couldn't agree more.." I turned to the crowd. "As long as you all are protected and live peaceful lives, then that's all that matters. I want to bring up something during the reunification process, but I'll bring it up now as well!" I looked at Jack and said,

"We all know that New Edenia as a nation will not exist much longer.. That is the unfortunate truth.." Everyone looked slightly down, especially Jade. It must've really meant a lot to her.

"But," I caught everyone's' attention back. "I suggest that we rename the capital of our reunified nation, 'Edenia'! In honor of both this kingdom, and Jade's homeland.." Jade perked up at that. I couldn't see her expression, but I'm willing to bet that she was pretty happy with that suggestion. The crowd seemed to be okay with that idea! I then turned to Jack.

"I know it's nothing official yet, because none of the future council are here to voice their opinion. But it would really mean a lot to Jade.. And to me. I'm not saying to agree with me, you make your own decision.. I'm just saying some support would be nice." I whispered to Jack.

Jack nodded. "Very well." I nodded with a slight grin in thanks.

"Well then.. Shall we begin?" I asked.

He nodded.

"We need a constitution. We should immediately begin drafting one."

He turned. "And I would like us to officially unite our nations. Now. We can discuss the specifics later." I nodded and said,

"Let's get started then.."

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Jack's POV

I signed the document. It was the official article of unification. When Drew signed this, it would officially unite our two nations.

I handed him the pen. "You're sure?" I asked.

I wanted him to be absolutely certain he was sure of this. His only response was a grin and him writing his signature down. It was official!

I smiled a bit.

"And this..." I pulled out a paper. "Should be our flag."

It consisted of three stripes, each occupying a third of the banner, arranged horizontally, with the emblem of New Edenia on it. It was a symbol of our unification. "What do you think?" I asked.

"I love it." He replied with a smile. "It symbolizes both nations pretty well."

I nodded. "The campaign for the election begins tomorrow. I wonder who will be on the council." Drew shrugged.

"Your guess is as good as mine.." He said, curious himself.

I nodded. "I was thinking that your family and mine could have dinner tonight, to celebrate this reunification?" He appeared to be a bit hesitant and nervous, but he nodded.

"I… think that'd be nice." He said. "I just hope all goes well.."

I nodded. I looked down. "I just hope our people can get along." Drew sighed and replied,

"That's what I hope more than anything."

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Drew's POV

I returned home and saw that there was no one there. I cocked a brow in confusion.

'Strange..' I thought. I walked upstairs to where me and Jade's bedroom was, in an attempt to see if the house was truly empty. When I opened the door, I saw Jade inside, sitting on the bed.

"Oh, there you are.." I said with a chuckle. "Where are Kenzi and Adia?"

"Out.." She said with a smirk as she stood up, almost… seductively!?

Oh fuck… I've seen too many movies to not know where this goes.. Even still, I stood there with a shocked expression and began,

"I-" I was cut off by Jade pulling me into a kiss, which took me completely off guard! I didn't fight it though, and I got into the moment. We fell on top of the bed, with me on top of her.

Oh my fuck! Was this really about to happen!? Why was this happening!? I'm not complaining obviously, but still! With a smirk, Jade said,

"I want to bear your child.. I want to… start a family.." I merely looked with love and lust in my eyes. I looked with my mouth agape and eyes widened,

"A-Are you sure about this, Jade?.." I nervously asked. Jade smirked and seductively said,

"Don't hold back.."

I didn't do anything but comply. It was time! Shutting the door behind us, we started to-

Oh you all get the fucking idea! We fucked like rabbits okay!?

Anyways, moving on..

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After our…

After that, Jade, myself, as well as Kenzi and Adia were getting ready to go to the restaurant. Jade and I seemed much… closer after that for sure. It seemed to be a bonding moment for us.

When Adia and Kenzi returned earlier, I gathered the whole family together and told them about Jack's request to have dinner with his family. And to my surprise yet again, they had no problem with it! Jade was the one I worried the most about, but she seemed to be right on board with it.

Well, that wasn't too difficult I suppose.. I can't say I've been to this particular restaurant, but I've heard good things about it. It wasn't as low tier as McDonald's, but it wasn't like a fancy ass French restaurant either! It was kind of in between, which was fine by me!

"Are y'all ready for this?" I asked the three of them.

"Yeah." Adia said with a smile. "I can't wait to see my brother again! It's been so long.."

"Same here." Kenzi added. "As much as Kylie and I have argued before, I still see that she's a sweet girl.. They're all great people when they want to be." I nodded in agreement.

"I can't say I trust Jack.." Jade began. "But I'm always willing to give him and his people another chance to redeem themselves.. I saw Jane and Alexander and just thought that they were the most adorable little children I've ever seen! It's one of the

I noticed that they all seemed more happy than usual. Like they were kids on Christmas morning or something.

Jack turned to us, grinning ear to ear.

"Hey!" He said happily. "Glad you could all make it!"'

"Same here.." I said with a smile as me and my family sat down. "What all do they serve at this place?"

"What don't they serve?" Kylie asked. "Look at all the stuff on the menu!" I grinned and said,

"Hmm, that Ribeye steak sure looks fucking go-" I was cut off by Kenzi thumping me in the ear.

"Ow! What-" I began.

"Watch your mouth." She told me, though she had a small smirk on her face.

"Oh, so you're enjoying this, huh?" I asked with a smirk of my own. I shook my head, looking back down at the menu. "Siblings.." I muttered sarcastically.

"Yeah!" Alexander laughed, only to be elbowed by Jane.

"Jackass!" The girl laughed.

Everyone gawked.

I saw Jack glare at Kylie. "I thought I told you not to teach them those words?"

Kylie just smiled sheepishly. Then she grinned. "I can't help it if I talk like Uncle Drew, okay!"

"Yes.." Jade began. "Well, Uncle Drew is a bad influence.." She sarcastically teased, smirking at me.

"Oh, ha ha." I sarcastically said. I swear to God the joking was unreal today!

"We do have some good news though." C.G began. We all cocked a brow, even some on Jack's side of the family.

"What would that be?" Adia curiously asked.

"Well...I'm pregnant again." She said with a smile. We all smiled warmly.

"Wow, really? That's awesome you guys! Congratulations!" Kenzi said. I smirked and joked,

"Damn. Slow down you guys.. I can't hardly keep up anymore!" Jade smirked and said,

"You sure didn't slow down any earlier.." I gasped and held an expression of shock and embarrassment.

"Jade!" I said with embarrassment. I was cut off by a smirking Jack.

"So...boy? Girl? Both? I need details!" Kenzi and Adia were smiling too. They appeared to be happy for us. Almost too happy.

'Oh Lord..' I thought. I know how Kenzi got about this kinda stuff, but I was scared to think that Adia was the same way! Kenzi was bad enough..

I sighed and replied anyways, with a slight grin,

"Don't know yet.. We haven't checked. I'm not sure if an Edenian's pregnancy is any different than a human's, but-"

"It is.." Jade confirmed. "Edenians are only pregnant for around 2 months. We reproduce quickly, yet almost never die.. You humans.. It's a strange science. 9 months? That's too long.." She chuckled.

Jack grinned. "Well, congratulations! I hope the new kids are good friends." I then said with a chuckle,

"Hey, fingers crossed, right?" I looked at Jade and joked, "And lucky me still has to get married soon." Jade merely rolled her eyes. I looked at Jack and his family and said,

"We're having the ceremony in a few days. I know it's short notice, and that we still have lots to do, but it'd mean a lot if y'all came!"

"We'd love to!" Kovu declared.

C.G nodded. "Indeed we would. Congratulations!"

"Thanks, everyone." Jade said with a smile. Kenzi and Adia were giddy! They held expressions of excitement and looked as if they could barely contain themselves.

I shook my head with a grin. I never would understand why females were so amused by relationships and weddings and whatnot.. Oh well. All I cared about right now was my steak! Where was the waiter in this place anyways?

After the waiter finally took our orders, we continued our conversation.

"Come to think of it, C.G and I haven't actually gotten married either..."

"Don't blame ya.." I muttered below a whisper as a joke, only to be elbowed by Jade this time.

"Ow. I was just kidding, Baby! Seriously." She merely rolled her eyes with a small grin.

I should probably learn to keep certain jokes to myself.. Getting elbowed didn't exactly feel too good, especially when it's Jade doing it!

"You two ever thought about it?" Kenzi asked them.

Jack and C.G looked to each other. "Actually, not until now." Jack mused. I chuckled and said,

"It's a pretty big commitment." I looked at Jade with loving eyes. "But it's worth it in my opinion to show how much you love someone.." She smiled and we both gave each other a quick kiss.

Jack nodded.

However, something seemed to be troubling him. He seemed a little, distant. I cocked a brow and looked at him with confusion, as did the rest of my family.

"What's up, Jack? Something wrong?" I asked him.

He didn't respond. Then, he put his hand to his forehead, as if in pain.

He winced a bit, before finally taking a deep breath. "It's...it's nothing." He finally said.

"Sorry." He added sheepishly. Still, I could tell he wasn't himself at that moment. For the rest of the dinner, he didn't speak much. He just brooded. I sure knew how that felt.. So I understood it.

As we all left, I pulled him aside, and asked,

"I don't even know why I'm about to do this.. I know how annoying as fuck it can be when you're like this, but.." I paused. "What's going on, dude? You haven't said much all through dinner."

Jack sighed. "I… I'm scared. He was speaking to me. He was threatening me, my family, all of us… Palpatine said that there 'will be no escape'. That our world will burn. That our people will be destroyed for their insolence..." I looked at Jack with an unfazed expression and shook my head.

"Palpatine ain't gonna do shit! With all of us together, we're a force to be reckoned with. If he was smart, he'd stay the fuck away.."

Jack looked at me. "That wasn't what scared me..." I cocked a brow.

"Then what?" I asked. "You're being pretty vague here.."

"He said he'd take Kylie for himself when the war was over. He needed an apprentice, and an empress, and, one day, an heir..." Jack said, looking physically sick.

He looked at me. "He threatened my daughter. And if I can't protect her or my other kids, as well as my unborn child..." I cut him off.

"I won't let that happen! You, won't let that happen.. None of us will! That I can assure you.. I can't speak for anyone else, but if he tried to lay a finger on Kylie or any one of those kids, I wouldn't hold back.. Sure, I may not be much of a fighter, but as you know I am crazy!" I chuckled.

"And believe it or not, I'm very mentally strong as well! He'll be playing checkers, and I'll be playing chess; He'll make one or two moves, but I'll always be 6 moves ahead of him! I swear on my life I won't let anything happen.." I promised.

Jack looked at me, before smiling a bit. "Thank you, Drew. It's just scary when someone threatens your child. I...I know you understand that...After Zillum..." He stopped, before looking down.

"Yes.." I said, not really wanting to talk about it. "We all know what that fucker has done.. He threatened Adia to me directly! He did it so he could escape after I renounced our alliance! He convinced me to turn on you, and to give the order to kill those innocent people! He's a scumfuck who deserves to die just like Palpatine! I will have my revenge on him one day.. You'd best believe that.."

He nodded. "I do know one thing, that when we stand united like this, we can and will defeat anyone who threatens us."

"You're right.." I said. With a sigh, I continued. "Though, whether or not I stay here in the newly reformed Dilania is still a mystery even to me.. I promised John and my Mom that I'd do them and my country proud by serving as a Marine! But unfortunately I never got that chance.. With Kratos and his Spartan Army, it's basically the same thing! Only way more traditional, and way tougher.. You can't show any weakness there, but that's why they're some tough motherfuckers! I've always wanted to be a soldier.. Just a soldier.. And if I earn a higher rank, then that's great!" I shook my head and finished,

"I just hate it when things are handed to me, Jack! That's not how I was raised! I was poor for most of my life, and had to earn what I got.. I just can't accept such major things for so little effort.. It's not who I am.."

Jack sighed, and nodded. "I know you may disagree with this, but you have earned your place here. And...I would like to make you an offer. If you stay here, I would like to create an equivalent to the Marines, a rapid moving, extremely deadly force designed to punch a hole in enemy lines that the Army itself could exploit, as well as to fight in the most dangerous missions and be the initial scouting and skirmishing force. And...I'd like you to lead the first Battalion of these forces, twenty men under your command, but you get to serve in combat itself, not on a chair on a Star Destroyer. We need good men like you. There is no one I would trust more with this duty. Regardless if you're my brother and best friend, you still deserve to be a part of that battalion, and the best of the best." I sighed and shook my head.

"I haven't earned anything.." I sadly said. "No, not shit! And even if I have, I don't want to command anyone! I haven't earned that privilege either! I'm not any good at it on top of that; I make rash decisions and would just screw us all over! That's not something I deserve.. I didn't know what the hell I was doing before, and I certainly don't now! I've barely even served in battle. I have several times, but that's about it; not enough to be a commander." I looked Jack in the eye with a pause. "You're not listening, Jack.. I don't want, nor deserve any of that.. I don't, I just don't!"

Jack looked at me with an unreadable expression. "I understand. I disagree with much of what you said, but I understand." He looked to his side. "Whatever you wish, I won't stop you. Just know that you don't give yourself enough credit. I wish though that you'd take up this last offer...You would be a soldier, a good one, but you would be just a soldier, not an officer or commander, just a really good soldier." I chuckled.

"What credit? There is no credit as far as I'm concerned.. No matter how much I improve, no matter what I do for others at this point.. I'll always be the monster that ordered to killed those people.. The monster who let his own brother die to his bastard father! The monster who still wants to just rid everyone of what I am.. Brandon fucked with my head! He got to me mentally! I'm too far gone! I doubt I'll ever be the same.." I walked closer towards him and finished,

"You best believe that I'm excited I have a child on the way! That I'm getting married.. That I have my family being reunited again and recovering from the past.. And I swear that I will do all I can for Jade and that kid! Adia and Kenzi too! But.. one day, when the time is right.. Probably when I'm a middle aged or old man being on the tail end of his life.." I stared Jack in the eye and coldly said, "I'm gonna fucking kill the monster that's been haunting me for all these years! The one that's hurt so many people! I'm gonna end it all and no one else will get hurt! But for now, I have things that must be done.. I have people that need what good of me is still left.."

Jack sighed. "Drew...You're not an evil person. You've had shit far worse than what I've gone through happen to you. You didn't deserve any of the bullshit that happened. And I don't consider you evil. I consider you a flawed, but still genuinely good person. Through all that's happened, you have cared about your family. .I don't blame you for what you feel, but I will always be here for you. I consider you family. And I will always stick by you!" There was silence. For several seconds, nothing was uttered..

I finally looked to Jack and said,

"We should go home.." I avoided responding entirely. He just didn't know.. He didn't know that I had already decided on it long ago.. "It's getting late.."

Jack looked at me, before he turned and walked off.

He said nothing else. But it didn't bother me none.. I just followed suit and went to find my family. We had a big day tomorrow! The council would be decided then. The fun thing about that is that anybody can be nominated.

That'll be interesting..

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Jack's POV

The nominations for the election occurred two days. It seemed that people from both Dilania and New Edenia were being nominated. On my side, you had Kennedy and Apollo, on Drew's side you had Mufasa and Caesarius.

Then there was the acceptance or rejection of the nomination. Finally, there were the debates. We decided that four members of the council was most necessary. Soon, a distinct, regional divide became apparent. New Edenian and Dilanian became political parties in a way.

The once New Edenian residents saw things more conservatively. They were very cautious about warfare, but would do it if they had to. They were more about focusing on their citizens and their problems than worrying about others as much. They disagreed with a lot of my views, and probably still hold my rash and harsh actions against me.. They absolutely despised an absolute Emperor. They wanted to be involved and have a say in their nation's matters, just as Drew did during his reign.

On the opposite end was, according to many New Edenians, the idealistic and expansionist Imperial Party. Combining the ideals of many of that galaxy's strongest governments, this party was considered by some to be patriotic, militaristic, socially egalitarian, and with surprising loyalty to a single Emperor.

Then, there was a third party, the Federalists. The Federalists, led by Apollo, wanted to reform Dilania, or Chimaera as it was now known, into a constitutional monarchy, with much more power given to the provinces, a downsized military, and a more pragmatic approach to foreign affairs.

This put the three sides at odds, especially on the Emperor front. The New Edenians were very particular and loyal to their beliefs! They saw the Imperial Party's followers as blind, and the Federalists as spineless. They wanted a strong military, just not constant warfare. They wanted a ruler, just not an absolute ruler who made all the decisions. They just wanted a say!

The Imperial Party viewed the New Edenians as too traditional, and the Federalists as too cautious. They believed the Empire, and the Emperor were the best hope for the world. They saw New Edenia's lack of loyalty and more conservative views as unrealistic, and the Federalists as to political.

The Federalist Party, on the other hand, viewed the Imperial Party as far to hawkish and nationalistic, blind to the realities of the world, and New Edenians as selfish, unwilling to participate in collective efforts unless they gained something.

Kennedy led the Imperial Party, Apollo the Federalist Party, and Caesarius the New Edenian Party. 

Then, when the election finally came, it showed the division. Kennedy won his position as President by an extremely narrow margin: a mere 0.2%. Caesarius came in a close second, with Apollo coming in third.

Needless to say, the Edenians and Federalists were not happy with the results, especially the Edenains.. They didn't do anything crazy, but they were clearly not pleased. Everyone but the Imperialists were in a state of upset and anger.

This was shown in the subsequent elections of the three Chancellors. Mufasa, Athan Apostila, and Tereyn Aeresius(the first and last being Edenians and the second being a Federalist) were elected the next day, and though Kennedy's two votes on most matters meant that he could in theory veto one of the other chancellors, he lacked a tie-breaking vote.

I was honestly a little against the idea of political parties, but I wouldn't stop them. Still, I kind of agreed with what Washington said, that it could divide us into enemy camps.

Only time would tell...


	22. Chapter 22, An Empire Dies

**Kylie's POV**

I sighed as I got out of my bed, and headed off to the bathroom.

It was a month since reunification. Things were proceeding smoothly. Mom gave birth to another child. Just a week before her, Jade also gave birth to a healthy girl, who they named 'Kitana', after Jade's old friend.

Mom had a healthy baby girl, who she named Amelia.

I stopped.

Dad and mom usually left the door closed…

Yet today, it was half open.

I cocked a brow, and went inside, and everything stopped.

At first, it looked normal, but I immediately sensed...nothing. I could feel _nothing_ in the force from them. Was…

My eyes widened, and I rushed over. Mom and dad were completely still.

"Dad? Mom?" I asked softly.

No response.

I could feel it. The fear. No. The absolute terror I had felt when dad was...assassinated.

I gently pulled at the pajama, and saw dad roll to the side, his throat slit.

For a split second, I couldn't believe it. Then it hit like a freight train. They were gone. _Again_. I had lost my fucking parents _again_!

I fell to my knees, and softly began to cry. It was over. I had lost my family _again_!

"Kylie?"

I froze, and saw Alexander had gotten up. He looked curious. Like he…

I got up. I walked forward and led him out of the room. "Get your sister." I said softly, trying to keep it together.

Alexander looked up. "Why? Is something wrong with mom and dad?"

I couldn't bring myself to say it. I just _couldn't_.

I just replied. "Get Jane. I'll get Amelia."

Alexander looked at me, before nodding. I heard the two start bickering immediately, before I scooped up my baby sister, and then got the other two out of the house as _fast_ as possible.

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 **Drew's POV**

I awoke to a knock on the door. I looked beside me for a brief moment to see my now wife, Jade, along with our recently born child, Kitana. They were sleeping soundly, as if at peace.

I smiled as I got out of bed to answer the door. Once I opened it, I was shocked to see Kylie and Jack's kids standing there. Kylie looked absolutely _petrified_!

"Kylie?" I questioned. "What happened? Are you okay?.."

Kylie looked down. "Sis?" Jane asked, still not knowing the full story.

"They're gone..." Kylie choked out. My eyes widened and I gasped.

No.. She couldn't _possibly_ mean..

"What!?" I shouted probably a bit too loud. Luckily the baby didn't wake up from it, but I saw Jade beginning to stir. "What do you mean they're gone? Jack and C.G.? They're…?"

Kylie looked down. "But mom and daddy were-" Jane began, before it finally dawned on her. She began to cry, which was soon echoed by her twin.

Kylie knelt down and pulled the two into a hug, doing her absolute best not to break down herself.

"Christ.." I said through pained tears. I turned to them and added, "Please, come in.. Sit down.."

Kylie nodded.

"I...don't know how I can tell Kovu. He's off with Carandial and the fleet." She said softly. Then she froze.

"Oh my god..." She breathed, paling.

"What is it, Kylie?.." I asked with concern.

"What...what am I gonna do?" She asked. "Kovu doesn't want to be Emperor, and the kids are way too young..."

I gave a serious expression before saying,

"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it.. But just know that if you all need a place to stay, you're _always_ welcome right here! I'll be damned if I let you and those kids have nowhere to live.. I made a _promise_ to Jack that I'd look after you all.. Not because I'm obligated, but because it's what family _does_.."

She smiled slightly, before nodding.

"Thank you, Uncle Drew." I smiled back and replied,

"You're welcome.."

"What's going on?" I heard Adia ask, her walking into the room with Kenzi. Even Jade was now up, holding the still sleeping baby in her arms. "What's Kylie and the kids doing here?.."

Kylie wiped a tear away, before replying. "Mom and dad are gone." They all gasped.

"What!?" Kenzi exclaimed in shock.

"U- Uncle Jack is _dead_?" Adia said aloud, just as shocked.

Jade looked at Kylie with an expression of pity and sadness.

"I am so sorry.." Jade told her. "May the Elder Gods watch over you and those children.."

Kylie nodded. Then she stopped, before looking up with a determined expression. "I am going to speak with the council today. I will _not_ let the monster who did this win. I will continue my father's legacy."

They all smiled at her determination.

"Just know we'll be there right with you through all this.." Adia said with a grin.

"You are _not_ alone." Kenzi added with reassurance.

Kylie smiled.

"Thank you. All of you."

"Your mother and father's assassin _will_ be found.." Jade said with a determined expression. "That is a promise.."

 **Stan's POV**

"Okay, okay, everybody just calm the hell down!" I shouted throughout the constant chatter being thrown at me from basically _everyone_ that lived in South Park.

"So you're tellin' me that Kyle's a _fag_ too!?" Mr. Garrison yelled out.

"No!" Uncle Jimbo yelled out. "He's one of them tranny types, ain't he?"

"Uh, the term 'tranny' and 'fag' are highly offensive terms that belittles the LGBTQ+ community. It also implies that there are only two genders, which is _definitely_ not the case-" PC Principal began.

"Oh shut the fuck up you retard!" Dad yelled at PC Principal.

"SHUT UP!" I yelled, silencing everyone. "Shut the fuck up!" They all stood there, their attention on me.

"Well jeez.. You don't have to be a dick about it.." Mr. Garrison muttered. I sighed before explaining,

"Okay, look, Kyle.. is _not_ really named Kyle! It's _Kylie_. And she's not a tranny, she's a _girl_! Like, a _real_ girl!"

"Ohhh.." Everyone said in awe.

"So, then why was Kyle- I mean Kylie, a boy for all this time?" The preacher asked.

"Because her parents _forced_ her to pose as one.." I explained. "They wanted a boy, they got a girl.. It's just a simple case of them being psychopaths.."

"So she's actually, like, a _princess_ for _real_ now or what?.." Token questioned. I nodded.

"Yeah, Token. When she eventually take her parents' place one day, then she'll be known as an _Empress_." Everyone murmured in understanding.

"Look!" Cartman suddenly yelled out, pointing in the distance. "There she is now!" Everyone looked to where he was pointing and saw Kylie. But her expression looked… mute. What? What was going on?

She stopped when she saw us, before several people started firing off even more questions.

"What's wrong with her?" Mom asked.

"So she's _really_ a girl?" Ned questioned.

"Ooh, Jesus Christ!" Mr. Slave yelled out, who fucking _knows_ why! Probably another gerbil shoved up his ass!

Everyone was just asking _way_ too many questions at once..

Kylie held up her hand, before saying firmly. "Silence!" Everyone did so, standing perfectly silent. You could hear a _pin_ drop, it was so quiet!

"Yes. I'm a girl. Yes, I was made to act and look like a boy by my parents. And yes, I am royalty. And now, I'm Empress." She said the last part more softly, before continuing. "My coronation is today, and I would like my hometown to be there."

Everyone murmured in shock, especially me.

"What do you mean, Kylie!?" I asked in surprise. "What about your Mom and Dad!?"

She looked down. I gasped and then held my head down.

"Oh, Christ.." I muttered. I looked up and said, "Kylie, I am _so_ sorry! Are you okay? What happened!?"

Kylie sighed. "They were killed last night. I...found them this morning."

Everyone murmured their shock among each other. I stuttered with widened eyes,

"W- Who!?.."

She shook her head. "I don't know. Forensics hasn't found anything yet. No sign of forced entry. We...have no clue."

"Where will you _stay_? What's Dilania gonna do?.."

Kylie replied simply. "Uncle Drew's for now. And I'm going to follow what was expected of me here. I will take the throne as Empress. And finish what my father started."

I had to give a smile of hope, proud of her determination. Out of nowhere, I gave her a hug and said,

"And I'll be there with you _every_ step of the way.."

Kylie looked at me, before smiling. "I have one request, Stan." I released my hug and asked her,

"What is it?"

She looked down, before asking softly. "Will you help me? As consort? As Emperor?"

I widened my eyes in shock. I didn't really expect for her to ask that! Though I probably should've.. I mean, we _were_ together after all! But ruling a whole _nation_ , that's..

"That's fucking.. _huge_ , dude.." I muttered. I took a deep breath before looking back up at her with a smile. "But I'll _do_ it.. I'll help you no matter what! It won't be easy, but together we can do it!"

She smiled, before pulling me into a hug. "I love you." She said out loud for the first time.

"I love you too, Kylie.." I whispered back passionately.

"That's my _boy_!" Dad shouted aloud, causing me to facepalm.

"Randy.." Mom cut in, rolling her eyes. "Knock it off.."

Kylie laughed a bit, before turning. "Kenny, Craig, Tweek, Butters, Clyde, Token, Wendy, Bebe, Heidi, and...Cartman?" She asked.

"Hey.."

"What's up, dude?"

"What is it?.."

Those were some of the reactions they gave.

"I would like you all to come with us to a fancy, schmancy restaurant for dinner tonight. I want to catch up with my old friends."

They all smiled at that and murmured their agreements.

"That sounds great, Kyle- I mean, Kylie.." Wendy replied, correcting herself. She was still trying to get used to the reality.. As was everyone else. They would eventually get used to it, though.

Kylie smiled. "Thank you."

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 **Bebe's POV**

We finally spotted Kylie and Stan walking towards us not long after. We have all been sitting inside the restaurant she wanted to meet us at for about fifteen or so minutes.

"There you guys are!" I called out to them. "Where have you guys been?"

Kylie stopped, before winking at Stan. Stan looked away, flushing with embarrassment.

"Kylie.." He shot with embarrassment riddling his expression. We all had to laugh at that, before gasping.

"You mean you guys were-" Wendy began, before cutting herself off. We all laughed in a playful manner before Kenny commented,

"Nice, dude.."

Kylie rolled her eyes. "Alright. Dinner's on me. Everybody know what they want?" She asked as she sat down.

"Just a salad for me, thanks.." Wendy said.

"I'll have some lasagna." I answered with a smile.

"Where's the donut pancake chocolate _surprise_?" Cartman blurted out, causing us to laugh. Stan sighed.

"They don't have it _here_ , fatass!" We all laughed at his remark.

"Ey!" Cartman yelled, beginning to get frustrated. "I'm not fat, I'm big boned!" Once again, we all shared a laugh. It was _just_ like old times!

Kylie chuckled. "Alright. So, let me guess." She began. "You all have a TON of questions?"

"That's an understatement.." Craig pointed out. We all nodded.

"Yeah!" Butters exclaimed. "Like, how'd you meet these fellas in Dilania?"

"Why'd Jack adopt you as his daughter? Gah!" Tweek asked.

"How did Jack ever _rise_ to power?" Token asked.

"What was the 'reunification' all about?" Clyde questioned with a cocked brow. "Was it split up?"

Before anyone could ask anymore questions, Kylie cut them off.

"Well, Dad and Uncle Drew found me, and Dad adopted me. The reason he did so was because, despite having a _serious_ temper, he had a good heart. Dad was one of the first people here, and the only one with the replicator, which allowed the Empire to rise. And the Reunification was the...well, reunion of the different nations that left the Dilanian Empire after an...incident."

"Incident?" Heidi asked. "What incident?"

Kylie sighed. "Long story. Lioness hunted somebody. Dad and Uncle Drew got into a _very_ bad argument. Drew led a group that seceded, and founded their own nation. Resulted in war at one point. Though all that's behind us now, thank god."

Everyone murmured their fascination and interest in the history of this place.

"Interesting.." Wendy said. "So, Jack and Drew.. They're brothers?"

"Yeah.. What's this 'Drew' like?" I questioned. I gave a smirk and added. "Is he cute?.."

Kylie rolled her eyes. "I don't know. I never thought about it...And...ugh...thanks for that image."

I shrugged.

"Sorry.." I said. I pointed at Clyde. "But you know, ever since this _dick_ -"

Clyde threw his hands up with his eyes rolled.

"Oh _here_ we go.." Clyde began. "You know it wasn't my fault.."

"Was too!" I angrily said. Before an argument could break out, Stan stopped us.

"Guys! Calm down.. Let's just have a good time tonight.."

We both sighed and nodded in agreement.

After dinner, Kylie smiled. "Time for the coronation." She said.

 **Kylie's POV**

I led my old friends to the podium. Waiting there were Drew and his family, the Admirals, Anakin, and Tyromairon.

I turned to Stan. "This is our moment." I said softly, motioning for him to follow me. He nodded with a smile, and we headed up to the podium.

Clapping and some cheering followed, though also some questions.

Tyromairon cocked a brow, before asking. "You have found your consort?"

I nodded proudly, before turning to Stan. "Yes. I have."

Tyromairon nodded, before he asked. "Will you defend the Dilanian Empire to the best of your ability, from all enemies, both internal and external?"

"We will." We both said.

"Will you defend the Imperial Constitution, Law, and liberty?"

"We will."

"Will you rule firmly, but fairly?"

"We will."

"Then, I give you, people of the Dilanian Empire, Empress Kylie and Emperor Stanley, lawful and rightful sovereigns of our great nation." Tyromairon declared.

Drew, Adia, Kenzi, and Jade, who held little Kitana in her arms, all gave applause and cheered happily for me.

Kenny, Cartman, and the rest, all smiled and cheered for us as well. Kenny commented something, but the roaring cheers and chants from the crowd prevented me from hearing it.

I activated my lightsaber, and held the blade up above my head, before saying. "Empire eternal!"

"EMPIRE ETERNAL!" The crowd thundered.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 **Kylie's POV**

As the cheering finally subsided, I turned to Uncle Drew. "Thank you." I said with a smile.

He returned with a smile of his own.

"It's what family is for.." He replied.

"Empress. The fleet has arrived for the Grand Review." Carandial explained. On cue, hundreds of ships arrived overhead, all moving in perfect unison. All my old friends from South Park could do is look on in awe.

I smiled as the ships moved overhead. Then, they each fired a salute into the air. The sound of thousands of laser cannons went off as blue beams of light shot into the air.

However, through the display, I thought I could see, just through the stars, the form of my father and mother smiling down at us…

"Remember who you are..."

I could just barely hear my father's voice.

I smiled back, before declaring.

"I won't fail you."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 **Drew's POV**

After the ceremony was over, and everyone was heading home, I told my family with a slight grin,

"You can all head home if you want.. I wanna see how the new Empress is doing.."

They all gave a laugh before Jade replied,

"Alright.. We'll see you when you get back.." She looked at Adia and Kenzi. "Unless any of you two are staying?" They shook their heads.

"Nah, I'd better head home.. I'm tired." Kenzi said.

"Same here.." Adia said. She smiled and added, "We'll see you back home, Daddy.."

I nodded with a smile.

"See ya.." I muttered. With that, my family headed towards the house, leaving me alone. I looked over and saw Kylie and Stan, standing together and talking. I had to smile at the sight. She really _was_ growing up a lot faster than I thought..

I frowned slightly, though, remembering what it cost.. Jack and C.G. were true friends, true _family_ to me! It was sad to see them go so soon.. Whoever is responsible for their murder will suffer!

I regained my composure and began to walk towards them.

"Kylie!" I called out, trying to get her attention.

She and Stan turned to face me.

Kylie smiled, though she looked sad.

"Hey..." She said. I looked at the both of them, before finally looking at Kylie.

"You alright?.." I asked her. Though I knew that the pain of losing her parents still lingered within her..

Kylie shook her head. "I just...wish mom and daddy were here to see this."

I evidently cringed at that. My eyes began to widen as flashbacks began to take over.. Back when Jack and I first found Kylie..

" _You're welcome to stay with us. We'll take care of you."_

That's what Jack had said to her.. She was so lost.. So sad.. So confused..

 _"If you're fine with that of course."_ _Jack added.  
_  
 _She looked at him for a moment. "Would that make you my father?"_

 _He_ _blinked, before nodding. She smiled a little. She then looked down. "Can I call you daddy?"  
_  
 _He stopped. He had never thought of himself as a parenting type, but… Well, I guess if he could raise Kovu..._

 _He smiled and nodded._

 _"Welcome to the family."_

A tear fell from my cheek.. The memory was so long ago.. Yet it was clear as day..

"I do too.." I replied to Kylie's wish. "I do too.."

"I haven't known Jack long but.." Stan began. He sighed. "He seemed like a very great guy.. I wish I could've known more about him.."

Kylie paused, before she looked down. "He was. He did have his faults though. But he was still a good man. To me though, he was my _true_ father."

I looked down.

"And he was a true _brother_ to me.. We've had our share of arguments and fights in the past.. Some _very_ extreme.. But, he was always there for me and my family when we needed it.. He may not have _completely_ filled the void that Landon left behind, but…" I sighed. "He was one of a kind.."

Kylie looked at me for a second. "You never told me about him. I only know he was your brother."

I sighed in response.

"Well," I began seriously. "we weren't brothers by blood.." I confessed to her. "But we _were_ by spirit.. By heart.."

I walked a bit closer before continuing on.

"In the early days, when I first arrived here, he included me and Kenzi in for help when we needed it most.. We were very grateful for that.. It started out as a small little shelter at first, but.." I looked up into Kylie's eyes. "As more survivors came, our group only grew and _grew_.. Before long, we just had to keep building more and more shit with the Replicator so that all those people could survive.. Thus, the early Dilanian Empire was born.."

Stan cocked a brow, before asking, "So everyone here was in the same boat, and you and Jack rescued _everyone_ here?!"

I nodded in response.

"Yes, we certainly did.. We found Adia and Kovu, most notably, abandoned all alone just outside the limits of our early borders.. Jack decided to adopt Kovu, while I took Adia.." I shook my head. "I didn't agree with what Jack did at first.. I told him, 'Jack! Are you outta your fucking _mind_? We can't trust everyone we see!'." I chuckled a bit. "But man was I wrong.. He did the right thing.. I was just too defensive and protective.. I had a sister and, at the time, a brand new _daughter_ to look after! So I naturally disagreed at first.."

Kylie then asked. "So that's how we all became this nation? I...didn't know that. I wish I could have seen what it was like at the very beginning. Dad said he had some stories to tell, as did you."

"Well.." I began, before smirking. "Did he ever tell you about the time we outran a fucking carnivorous _dinosaur_ with our jeep?.."

Kylie perked up. "No! He never did. What happened? How big was it?"

"Big as fuck.." I replied with a laugh. "Kovu and Adia were there too.. They can back this one up. Basically, we were out scouting the land for all the new wildlife. We hadn't been there for too long.. As we were looking, we sure found some wildlife, alright! A giant fucking dinosaur!" I started using motions with my hands to make it more dramatic. "We were almost caught, so I yelled to Jack, 'Do a fucking zig-zag! Make a U-turn! It doesn't fucking matter! Hurry!'"

Kylie and Stan both laughed at that. I continued with a grin.

"Long story short, we managed to confuse it and get away.. It was… an _experience_ , to say the least.."

Kylie nodded. "That does sound like something you and dad would have done."

She looked down. "I miss him and mom so much." I sighed and walked up to her, giving her a hug.

"We all do, sweetheart.." I muttered. It was unlike me to call anyone that except for Adia, and most recently Kitana. But y'know what? Kylie is like a daughter to me too in a way! "We all wish they could be here.. They'd be proud."

She smiled, before her face fell again. This time, it was out of fear, not sadness.

"What is it, Kylie?" Stan questioned with concern.

She looked at us. "I sense a great...darkness..."

Her eyes widened, and turned to see a hooded figure approaching. It...it was Palpatine. And behind him...Zillum.

"How...pathetic." He sneered.

"You have _some_ nerve, motherfucker!" I yelled in anger.

Palpatine sighed, and raised his hand, grasping Stan and I by our throats. I _actually_ began resisting Palpatine's force choke, and held it back. I had been learning how to resist magic thanks to Jade.. It would definitely be of use.

"Nice.. _try_ , asshole!" I yelled, fighting to hold it off.

Palpatine blinked for a second, before his gnarled face turned to anger. He then fired literal _lightning_ at all three of us..

I was unable to hold it off at that point. My resistance to magic was still _very_ limited at this point, as I was still in the learning process. Now I was choking just as I had been many times before..

Then, Kylie was thrown to the ground in front of Palpatine. "You will _watch_ this." He said to Stan and I.

"Kill.. _me_!" I yelled. "Do.. what you want to me.. Let.. them _go_!.."

Palpatine shook his head. "No. Your time is coming. But I require a concubine right now. She is very pretty..."

"I'll… _fucking_ kill you!" I yelled in boiling rage.

Zillum stepped between us. He grinned. "Don't worry, she'll be well taken care of."

"You bastards!" Stan yelled this time.

Palpatine turned to Zillum.

He simply nodded.

Zillum grinned, and activated a red lightsaber, and began walking towards Kylie, dragging the blade along the ground, causing sparks to fly from the burnt out surface.

Kylie looked up, before her eyes narrowed. She stood up, and activated her own lightsaber, holding it in a defensive stance.

"The force is with you, young Empress," Zillum commented. "But you are not a warrior yet."

Kylie responded by slashing at Zillum, who easily blocked it with a single hand. Kylie pulled back, before responding with two more strikes. The same result.

Zillum continued to block every strike with trivial ease, as if it was a game. "You have learned much young one."

Kylie narrowed her eyes, and struck again.

"Kylie!" Stan yelled aloud in concern for her. At this point, we had been released from the Force choke.

I quickly reached into my pocket where a tracker was. I pressed the button and just stood there, waiting. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

' _They'll be here soon..'_ I thought to myself.

Kylie continued to strike at Zillum, but could barely even challenge him.

Zillum laughed, before lunging forward with a series of lightning fast strikes.

Kylie blocked the first one, but only barely was able to escape the second.

Then, she let out a horrifying scream.

She collapsed to the ground, clutching her arm. Then I saw...her hand had been _cut_ off.

"Christ!" I yelled with widened eyes.

Zillum loomed over her.

"There is no escape." Palpatine said. "Don't make us destroy you."

Zillum grinned, before turning and stabbing his lightsaber into Palpatine's chest. The Emperor froze, and looked with widened eyes at his apprentice.

"Your _Empire_ belongs to me now." Zillum laughed coldy, before tearing his lightsaber out and turning to Kylie.

"Kylie, you do not yet realize your importance. You have only _begun_ to discover your power. Join me, and I will complete your training. With our combined strength, we can destroy the rebellion, and end this destructive conflict. And bring order to _all_ dimensions."

Kylie looked up at him, terrified. But she managed to say defiantly. "I'll never join you!"

Zillum shook his head, before saying. "You want to know the truth? About all this?"

He turned, and declared. " _I_ killed Kovu. _I_ killed Anderson and his whore wife. _I_ manipulated Palpatine into waging this war. A new order is rising, _my_ order."

Zillum then added. "And it was _I_ who brought you here. Who brought you _all_ here. All this has occured because _I_ designed it as such."

I stood there with a blank expression. I didn't know what to say. Stan looked over at me, before widening his eyes. If I had to guess, I'd say my expression was rather frightening, as it was mysterious.

"You.. You did this?" I asked calmly, almost _too_ calmly.

Zillum laughed. "Yes."

He then turned towards me.

"So as the Dilanian Empire dies, my order finally dawns."

As if on cue, _hundreds_ of Star Destroyers materialized overhead, and immediately opened fire.

He then asked. "How does it feel, being on the opposite side of genocide?"

I shook my head.

"Not so good.." I calmly stated. I immediately attained an expression of pure _rage_ , as if a switch had been flipped. "But what _will_ feel good is when one day, as you choke on your own blood.. As you lie there on the ground beginning to grow colder.. You'll have to look me in the _eyes_ , and see the one who finally killed you.."

Zillum sighed. "Spare me your petty vengeance speech."

"Not a speech.. Only a promise.." I then looked Zillum in his cold eyes. "If you were smart, you'd kill me _right_ now.."

Zillum laughed as a massive Dilanian Dreadnought exploded under the pressure of the bombardment. "I'll take my chances."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I was being dragged in handcuffs, as was Stan and Kylie. A _shitload_ of Galactic Stormtroopers had landed, and occupied the capital, Edenia.

We were thrown to the ground and forced to our knees as they began lining up some of our friends and family against the Capital Building in the heart of town, including: Caesarius, Palenix, Mufasa, Sarabi, Emily, Ethan, Luis, and...Alexander, Jane, Jade, Kenzi, Adia…

I widened my eyes and gasped, beginning to struggle.

"No!" I shouted, trying to break free. "No, what the fuck!" I was cut off as a Galactic Stormtrooper hit me in the head with the butt of his Blaster.

"Sit up!" The Stormtrooper demanded, forcing me back to my position.

Why the fuck were they having _us_ out here, but were lining _them_ up!?

"Daddy!" Adia shouted at me with tears in her eyes. I began to tear up, now beginning to get _really_ pissed off!

"Let them _go_ , you _goddamn_ pussies!" I yelled at the top of my lungs. "You _better_ not fucking hurt them or I swear to God I'll-"

I was met with a swift punch in my temple, knocking me down once more.

"Shut the hell up!" The Stormtrooper warned. "One more time and you'll get a _lot_ worse!"

With that, I conceded and sat back up with a growl.

Zillum stepped into view, with an evil grin. He motioned for several Stormtroopers to come forward.

He nodded to one of them, and walked to the side. The Stormtroopers aimed their guns. We _knew_ what was coming.

"No!" Kylie cried. She was being restrained by two Stormtroopers.

"Kill _me_ , goddammit!" I demanded. "It's not them you want, it's-"

 _BLAM!_

In an instant, multiple blasters fired.. It was over..

Zillum laughed, before turning to his men.

"Seems a shame, doesn't it men, to lose something so fine?" He motioned to Kylie. "Do what you will with her. Take what you want from the civilians. Rape, pillage, murder, I don't care. I won't stop you. They need to be brought to heel."

I sat there in absolute silence.. I expected there to be tears but, there _were_ none…

I just sat there, too stunned to say or do anything..

They were gone..

Forever..

All because of _him_!

Zillum walked over and grabbed Kylie by the chin. "You're _nothing_." He said. "You will live out your days as a whore for my men."

He turned to me, and walked over. "And you will _watch_ your world _burn_. This is _only_ the beginning."

I sat there, my expression blank.

"Enjoy your victory, Zillum.." I said calmly, almost in an _eerie_ , mysterious sort of way.

Zillum looked at me, before narrowing his eyes.

"Take them to my ship, withdraw all troops from the city." Immediately, several stormtroopers dragged Kylie off, while Stan and I were soon pushed along.

"Now. I _will_ enjoy my victory."

We were thrown to two windows as the shuttles left the city.

Stan and I could see the city of Edenia lie before us.

Zillum whispered in my ear. "Because of that little comment, your city will be _burned_ to the ground with every man, woman and child in it."

I attained an expression of anger, and headbutted Zillum in the nose out of nowhere. It was pointless, but it felt _good_!

" _Fuck_ you!" I spat.

Zillum wiped some blood from his nose, before turning to his men. "Destroy it."

It was then that I remembered…

"Kitana.." I whispered. Where the fuck _was_ she!?

Then, the turbolasers of the Galactic Empire's fleet were unleashed on Edenia. Within seconds, all that was left was a smoking ruin.

"You're daughter is fine. She'll make a fine _apprentice_ , one day. She'll grow to hate your name."

"If you _touch_ my daughter, I'll-" I was cut off when I began to feel my throat close up.

Oh not _this_ shit again!

Zillum looked at me. "You talk too much."

He then extended his claws and slashed me in the face.

I fell to the ground. "You, Kylie, Carandial, Stanley, and your precious little daughter will _all_ know true peace under my rule. _You_ especially. Dilania is _dead_."

All of a sudden, we heard a loud scream.

"HEEYAH!" A familiar voice shouted.

Oh no…

"Rexy here!" He said. "I'm here to _kill_ you, Zillum!" He grinned and continued, "You see, my droids will-"

He was cut off when Zillum snapped his neck with the force choke, killing him.

Zillum looked me in the eye. "The age of Dilania is over. Now begins the age of the Dominion."

 **A/N: A sequel is PLANNED. Don't worry, the war is not over yet. It's only begun.**

 **BottomBitchBebe (previously known as LionKingIsAwesome): It** _ **only**_ **gets more suspenseful and dark from here.. This isn't the end of Drew and Kylie's saga.. All shall be revealed when the sequel is released.**


End file.
